Breath of the Sheikah
by Undeadmonkey8
Summary: Kyro was just two weeks old when the Purge happened. Now, seventeen years later, his world is overturned as the forces of Twilight invade his world and send him spinning on a journey across Hyrule to save the person he couldn't protect. Will Hylia's blessing prove enough to overcome the challenges before him? Or will he fall under the weight on his shoulders?
1. Son of Shadow, Daughter of Goddesses

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter One

Son of Shadow, Daughter of Goddesses

The village held its breath as the screams of a mother in labor echoed through the valley. They died down, to be replaced be the wail of a newborn. The Sheikah relaxed, and went about their business, training, taking their 'exams' to become full members of the clan, or helping out around the community. A small group of them, with canes in their hands headed to the small home at the edge of the village, to see the newborn child. They were the Elders of the Village, and they oversaw the naming of every Sheikah child the day they were born.

As they neared the house, the wails of the child kept going, and the eldest among them – a woman by the name of Shie – glanced back at the group.

"It seems that Merail has given birth to quite a singer." She said in a flat voice.

The other elders smiled behind their masks – that was as close to humor as Shie got.

When the Elders reached the door and rapped sharply on it, the wails cut off almost instantly, as if the child knew who they were. The door opened, and they were greeted by the smiling eyes of Kurai – Merail's husband.

"Welcome Elders, it is a good day when you arrive." Kurai lowered his voice, "Is the name already selected?"

Shie nodded, and Kurai smiled again, "Then welcome to our humble home! There is tea brewing, if you would like some."

The Elders declined his offer, and swept into the house, passing the kitchen on the way into the main bedroom. Sheikah houses were by no means small, they were well paid by the crown for their services as peace keepers, protectors of the royal family, guards for caravans on the roads, and other assorted tasks. However, they didn't like living in surplus, so each house was simple, a bedroom for each member of the family (Except husbands, since they slept with their wives) a kitchen, and a small dining room, which was only used on special occasions like birthdays or holidays – the Sheikah were very social among themselves, just not others.

As they entered the bedrooms, the mothers who'd come to help with the birth hurried out, leaving a slightly wet baby on his mother's lap. Merail looked up, and they could see she was smiling from the way her eyes crinkled – that was one of their unspoken rules, you always had your mask on when you were with people outside of your family.

"Good afternoon to you Elders, I didn't expect you quite so quickly."

Shie nodded in respect for the new soul that had entered the world, "Kurai, call in your son. The entire family must be present for the naming."

Kurai nodded, and they listened for the door shutting, as well as Kurai's footsteps rapidly heading down the path – Byril, their teenage son, would be at the training center right about now, or possible taking the Sheikahn Study to become a man in the clan's eyes.

Guran – the youngest Elder – knelt down at Merail's side. She patted Merail's hand, "how do you feel?"

Merail groaned, "Like a pair of Gorons used me as a mining tool." She looked down at her unnamed son, "But he's worth it."

Guran's eyes crinkled and she stood up as they heard the door open.

Byril and Kurai entered the room, and the boy sat on the bed next to his mother, looking at the little thing that was his new brother. Kurai stood behind him, looking doubly proud for some reason.

Shie picked up on the proud looks Kurai was throwing at both of his sons, and she gestured for Byril to stand, lifting the cover on his mask slightly, to see between his eyebrows. She nodded in approval, the boy had the mark of a thundercloud between his brows, which meant that he had passed his study – more like a sparring match with whatever Master you chose to work under, along with whatever masters' that were the leaders of the groups below them – most likely with flying colors, just like his parents.

She released the boy, who returned to his mother's side on the bed. She then stepped over to the bed, and took the child from Merail's arms to name him. Almost instantly, his eyes opened, and he began to wail again. Shie was tempted to hand him back to his mother, but the ceremony was sacred, and she noticed something about his eyes that made her rock him and croon slightly. The other Elders looked at each other in surprise – Shie never did anything like this – but then the wail stopped and Shie was looking deep into the child's eyes.

She was fascinated by what she saw, and she handed the child down to the second Elder, who passed him to the third, and so on, until he reached Guran, the sixth. Her eyes opened wide and she gave a slight gasp, slightly more of a reaction than the other Elders gave. The reason for their surprise was the boy's eyes. One was as green as a field of grass on the spring equinox – which happened to be the day – and the other was as blue as the great oceans. She recovered her composure quickly, and returned the child to Shie, who raised him above her head.

"In the name of the Sheikah, in the ways of our ancestors, and theirs before them, I, Shie, Twelfth Grand Elder of the clan of Hylia, do name you," Shie paused, "Kyro."

As she brought Kyro back down, a light flashed within the room, enhanced by the dim light of the setting sun. As their eyes recovered, they all realized that the source of the light was the back of Kyro's small hand, Three golden triangles, the mark of those blessed by the Goddesses. However, no triangle shined brighter than the others, which was what every source the Sheikah had told should be happening.

The Elders looked to each other, and then Shie returned Kyro to Merail, saying, "Raise him normally, we must send word to the castle, after which Kurai and Byril will take Kyro to the sages there. We must know what this means. Merail nodded, and turned her attention to her child, who had decided to make his presence known once more, asking for food.

As the Elders left the house and went down the path, they turned at the sound of footsteps running after them. Byril came up to them and slowed, holding his side where one of the Masters he'd fought earlier had gotten in a solid hit.

He knelt to Shie, "Elder, what does this mean?"

Shie bid him to rise, "I'm not sure young one, I have lived on this World for ninety three years, and I have seen the Triforce of Wisdom on the hand of more than one royal. Always one part shone brighter than the others. All I can tell you is that your brother will be very special."

Byril nodded, and then was dismissed. Shie looked around at the others, of the six of them the only one who would be likely to oversee Kyro's Study was Guran. She sighed, then, "Come my friends, we have work to do."

()()()()

_In Hyrule Castle, at the same time as Kyro's birth_

Hyran, the current king of Hyrule, knelt at his wife's side as she went into the final push. Neither of them had expected that she would have a child, she was in her late forties, and he was nearly halfway through his fifties. The brows of the sages lining the room creased, the woman who was their queen would likely not make it through, but the life force of the baby was as strong as a sun. They closed their eyes as the wail of a newborn girl cut through the sound of the woman's shrieks of pain. The nurses overseeing the birth smiled at each other, and then at the king, washing the baby off and wrapping her in a soft blanket, before realizing that the queen had fallen silent. They turned and their eyes widened at the sight of their mighty and noble king sobbing into the bed sheets, the warm figure of his queen ominously still and pale. They looked to the sages, who shook their heads sorrowfully, and then handed the baby to the king. His majesty looked up and dried his eyes before he took his little girl in his arms, looking back at his queen one more time. He looked down at the little thing in his arms, who was pushing her arms past the blankets to play with his beard. He laughed, sorrow momentarily forgotten, and he decided that he would name her after the woman who had brought many joys into his life, along with – at last – an heir.

"Hello, Zelda."

The baby blinked at him with wide eyes, and then smiled as a soft triangle glowed to life on the back of her hand.

**End of Chapter One**

**Hey Guys! I hope you like the first chapter of my new story! Any comments are appreciated, so definitely review!**

**Pronunciations**

**Guran: Goo-rain**

**Shie: Shy**

**Kyro: Kie-Roe**

**Byril: Bie-ril**

**Kurai: Koo-Ray**

**Merail: Meh-Rayl**

**Hyran: Hie-raan**

**A quick note, Sheikah wear their masks at any time when they're with people other than their family. If the only people around are directly related to them through blood or marriage, then it's okay for the masks to be off.**


	2. Flight and Fight

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Two

Flight and Fight

Kurai and Byril swung their packs on, and Byril picked up his little brother, while his father picked up a small satchel of rocks. They positioned the small pouches holding their separate charges in the same place, and mounted the horses they had been given for the journey. Shie stepped up to them, they could barely see the black-clad Elder in the darkness – it was nearly midnight, and Kyro was fast asleep. They were leaving now for two reasons – well, three, counting that Sheikah preferred to travel by night – the first was that there was less a chance of discovery, and the second was that they wanted to avoid long goodbyes with the clan.

"You should travel slowly unless you are discovered, if he should wake up and cry out, anything in the fields will come after you. It is no more than an hour to Castle Town, but be careful all the same." Shie said, "If fell forces have detected his birth, then nothing is safe in those fields. Byril, if you are discovered, don't try to lose the danger, ride as fast as you can for the town, don't stop for anything," Shie paused again, "even your father."

Byril was caught off guard by this order – Sheikah valued family highly – but then swallowed hard and nodded. If anything did happen to them, and Kyro were to fall into dark hands, well, it would not be a pleasant time for Hyrule.

As they turned their horses down the path towards Hyrule castle, neither looked back, and so neither saw Shie raise her hand in farewell.

"Goodbye, my children." She said.

()()()()

As Byril and Kurai neared the halfway point of their journey, Kyro stirred in his sleep, and then his eyes opened part of the way. Byril instantly slowed his horse from the trot they'd been moving at and gently rocked him, trying to lull him back to sleep. It took a moment for him to realize what had woken Kyro, and his eyes rose. He hissed at his father to get his attention, and then tapped his ear twice. Kurai listened for a moment, and then nodded, bringing his horse back to Byril's.

Everything had fallen silent around them; no nocturnal creatures flew overhead, or rustled in the bushes on the roadside. Then, both of them noticed something else, Kyro's Triforce mark was glowing. Their heads came up as the first arrows sliced out of nowhere at them, and they kicked their horses into a gallop. None of the arrows hit them, but it was a close call, a couple tugged at the masks they wore, which made Byril's blood go cold. As they rounded a hill, Byril looked back and saw massive boar-like creatures they called bullbos in hot pursuit, each with a pair of Bulbins on their backs. While one Bulbin steered the massive beasts, the second loaded and fired arrows as quickly as they could. Byril turned his head back and bent low over his steed, their rapid pace was bringing them into sight of the castle.

Then everything seemed to happen at once as they entered the final stretch.

A well (or accidentally) placed arrow found the flank of Byril's horse, and he kicked his way clear of it before it went down fully. A cry of pain cut through the shrill whinnies of the horses, and he looked back from where he was running towards the town. His face paled behind his mask as he saw his father trying to rise with an arrow through his thigh. As Byril watched, another arrow slammed into Kurai's back, while a third pierced his throat. A shriek of rage escaped him, and he took a hesitant step back, before recalling what Shie had told him.

_"Byril, if you are discovered, don't try to lose the danger, ride as fast as you can for the town, don't stop for anything," Shie paused again, "even your father."_

A second yell came from his throat as he turned back to the castle and ran as hard as he could, Kyro's wailing form clutched tightly to his chest. He sensed, rather than heard, the Bullbos resuming their pursuit, and he instinctively moved to the side and ever forwards as a flight of arrows hit the turf where he'd just been. As he ran up the steps of the drawbridge, his luck ran out though, and he nearly lost his footing as a sharpshooting Bulbin put an arrow through his shoulder. He managed to stay on his feet, and made it to the gate, which was open just enough for him to get through before it slammed shut behind him.

Byril collapsed onto his knees as the guards came down to help him. When they tried to take Kyro from him however, he held tightly to the baby, and choked out, "Urgent, Sages, at the Castle." His vision started to go dark as unconsciousness threatened to overwhelm him. The ground rushed up as he breathed out one more word, faint enough that the guards could barely hear it, "Triforce."

The captain of the current shift blinked in surprise as the wounded Sheikah boy held tightly to the small bundle he had – even with an arrow through his shoulder, and obviously exhausted from his flight from the Bulbins – and ground out a sentence or so that made the guard captain snap into action. Ordering his men to gather up the unconscious boy without removing the mask he wore – the last time he'd seen a guard try to take one off, they'd almost had to remove the hand because of the damage done to it, without a weapon – he told them to make for the castle.

As he ran ahead to ensure all of the doors were open for the following guards, he found a group of servants to go and find the King, the Sages, and the Castle's doctor.

As his men labored up the last flight of stairs, the boy came to. Letting out a cry of surprise, he almost made the guards holding his stretcher drop him, and he fumbled for a moment before finding the small bundle he'd brought lying next to him on the stretcher – instead of on his chest, since he was lying on it.

As he was set down on a bed in the infirmary, the doctor readied his equipment, and his assistants scurried around shooing everybody out. The Guard captain winced in sympathy for the boy, removing that arrow was going to hurt like the dickens, and if he was unlucky, the muscles might not even knit together properly. As the door closed behind him, he heard the doctor count to three.

In the corridor, he waited to hear a yell of pain, but instead all he heard was the doctor's grunt, and then a clatter that was probably the arrow on the floor. He stuck his head in and his eyes widened, the arrow was out alright, and the boy was fully conscious, but his eyes didn't show any pain. Spotting the captain's bewildered look, he chuckled, and then his eyes shut tight and groaned as the nurses bandaged his shoulder.

As Byril sat up, his gaze returned to the Captain, "What, you didn't actually expect a Sheikah to cry like a little girl because of one stupid arrow did you?" The boy shook his head in exasperation, and then he snapped back to attention as one of the nurses shifted his mask to better bandage his arm, as well as put it in a sling. His good hand rose, before the nurses removed their hands altogether, and he slid off of the bed to his feet. He bent over and picked up the parcel he'd brought, and made for the door. When the doctor tried to get in his way, saying he needed rest, he was rewarded with a hard look and a "thanks for the help doc, but I need to go."

As Byril stepped through the door held open by the armored man, he looked up at him, "Did you send someone for the sages like I asked?"

The man blinked, and then said, "I'm not sure asked would be the right term, ground out through your teeth would fit better." As Byril glared at him, he continued hurriedly, "Yeah, we sent a servant for them. Are you sure you're okay?"

Byril chuckled, shaking his head again, before remembering that he hadn't started the night alone. He looked back at the Captain of the Guard, "There was someone else with me, but he went down about half a mile out on the road I came in on. Could you send out a patrol or something to get him?"

The guard captain nodded, and then gave Byril directions to the living quarters of the palace, where he could find the sages. As Byril went down the hall, he pushed any thoughts of his father out of his mind, but then they turned to his mother.

_Oh no, how am I supposed to tell her about dad? Only a couple of weeks after Kyro being born too. I can't even remember the last time we had a battle funeral, or even what the family is supposed to do._

His thoughts were interrupted as he turned a corner and was nearly run over by a trio of servant girls leading the sages towards the Hospital wing. As he nodded to the girls and bowed to the sages, the sages dismissed the servants and led Byril back to their quarters. As the door closed behind them, Kyro woke up fully and yawned, stretching his arms out to let the world know he was there. As he blinked, Byril finished unwrapping him, and lifted his hand up slightly, to show the sages what Shie had ordered him to.

The Triforce took a moment to reveal itself, but when it did, the sages took a nearly unanimous step backwards in shock.

Byril looked away from his brother, and towards them. "Do you know what this is? Our Elders looked through every text they had on the Triforce, but couldn't find a single example of none of the three attributes enhanced."

The Sage of Fire moved forwards, "Perhaps, perhaps. Millennia ago."

The Sage of Shadow moved as well, "Before the original Triforce was split, there was, consideration."

The Sage of Light stepped forward, and examined the Mark on Kyro's hand, "Yes, the center piece of the Triforce, but there were only three goddesses, so who would be the center's master?"

The sage of the Forest stepped up, "Wait, there was one, the mother of Din, Nayru, and Farore."

The sage of Spirit came forward last after a moment, "Yes, yes of course! Hylia, but what did she represent?"

The sages looked to each other for a moment, and then back at Kyro, before speaking almost in sync, "Triforce of Skill."

Byril was confused, "Wait, can you repeat that again? What's the Triforce of Skill? The Goddesses had a mother? And what does this mean for Kyro?"

The sages looked seriously at him, "It means that he will be blessed with many gifts, and he will be a force not to be taken lightly. But he must be well trained to use those gifts properly, or else they will overwhelm and consume him."

The door opened and King Hyran entered, "Why was I woken by a servant girl in the middle of the night, with no reason that she could give me?" Seeing Byril, he looked surprised, and then started sending questions rapid fire at him. "Who are you? Why did Shie send you here? When did you arrive? And why is there a baby with the Triforce there?"

The King froze after his last question and looked at Kyro for a long time, before stepping up to the table. In a low voice, almost a whisper, he continued, "Sages, what is the meaning of this?"

The sages moved backwards out of range, before responding together, "We think that the boy has been blessed by Hylia herself, with the Triforce of Skill."

The King looked stunned, "Triforce . . . of Skill? I thought that the only forces were Wisdom, Courage and Power?" The name Hylia seemed to sink in, "Wait, did you say . . . Hylia blessed the boy? Hylia, the mother of the Golden Goddesses?"

The sages nodded, "Yes Lord King, that Hylia." They turned to Byril, who suddenly felt uncomfortably like he was on trial, "When was the Child born?"

Byril started when they spoke to him, he'd been looking at the king, and he was confused as to whether he should turn away from the king to answer the sages, or to keep facing Hyran and answer without turning to them. He took door number three, and turned so that he was facing halfway between both of them, "_Kyro, _not 'the child' was born on the Equinox. Does it matter?"

He assumed the answer was 'yes', since the Sage of Spirit fainted, and the others took a step backwards. Then they looked at the King, who had paled, "The equinox . . . was the day that my daughter was born, and her mother died."

Byril was shaken to the core, they hadn't heard that the King had had a daughter, or that the queen was dead. He didn't press the issue, but instead said, "Congratulations my lord, my village will rejoice and mourn at the news – assuming I make it back to tell them."

There was an unspoken question in the statement, and the King nodded, recognizing the request for an escort back to his home. "I'll send a full patrol with you when you head back next week. Don't shake your head at _me _boy! That is a non-negotiable timeframe. You'll be resting that arm here for the next week, and then you can take your brother home." The king frowned, as if realizing something, "Wait, don't you usually work in pairs at least? Did you not bring a partner?"

When Byril closed his eyes and let his head drop, Hyran recognized his sadness at his wife's passing mirrored in the young form before him. He placed his hand on Byril's shoulder, "I'm sorry, I truly am. Was it friend or family?"

Byril stiffened his jaw against tears and looked up at the King, determined not to be the first Sheikah seen crying by outside eyes.

"It was my father. The Captain of the Guard said he'd send out a patrol to collect his body."

Hyran nodded, admiring the boy's resolve, but noting the slight quaver in his voice. "Well, I'll have some servants organize a bedroom for you to sleep in, and we'll put your brother in the Nursery, I'm sure there's an empty crib he can use." When Byril shook his head, Hyran continued, "Or we can bring one into the room we prepare for you, if you don't want to leave him."

Byril nodded, and then almost fell to his knees as a wave of exhaustion hit. In fact, he would have fallen if the King hadn't steadied him with a hand. Hyran waved a hand at the sages to summon a servant to help Byril to a room, and then went about finding a few servants for the relatively simple task of moving a crib from the nursery, up three flights of stairs, across the dining hall, and then up another flight of stairs before bringing it into the living quarters.

()()()()

Byril half opened his eyes when a bolt of pain shot through his left shoulder and he groaned. The curtains were drawn, and it took him a moment to remember where he was. When it hit him where he was and why his arm was aching, he sat bolt upright and swung his legs out of bed. He stood somewhat shakily and crossed over to the window. Pulling back the curtains with his good arm, he winced as bright afternoon sunlight came in and he shaded his eyes. Looking out over the hustle and bustle of castle town, he had to admit, living in a palace like this would probably be a lot of fun if you were allowed to explore it.

He whirled as the door opened and a maid entered as quietly as she could, carrying Kyro wrapped up in a clean blanket and trying to nab her braid when it swung into his short reach. Her "quiet" movement made Byril wonder how he'd slept through her entering and taking Kyro out the first time.

He nodded his thanks to her, and expected her to go, but she curtsied and relayed a message to him instead, "The King was wondering if you were awake, and kindly requests that you join him for lunch. It will be ready in about half an hour."

Byril nodded again, and accepted the King's invitation. He took another look out the window before turning towards the room and searching for the small pack which held his spare clothes.

Changing into clothing that was not stained with dust and blood was easier said than done, and he ended up having to ask for help from a passing servant

After he was ready, he asked the servant to wait outside a moment while he finished. Once the door was closed, he pulled off his mask and redid it – that was a simple task to do, even with one hand.

Exiting the room with Kyro in the crook of his arm, he nodded to the servant and allowed him to show him to the dining room.

()()()()

The week passed by in a blur, and Byril was soon pulling himself up onto his horse to begin the journey home, a servant handing Kyro up after he was settled. Byril was uncomfortable with the daytime travel, but the coffin bearing his father reminded him that it was time to go home.

As they neared the final corner, Byril dismissed the guards escorting him – the exact location of the Sheikah villages was a jealously guarded secret – but then called for them once he smelled smoke and heard the yells of battle. As they galloped around the corner and down the hill to the village, Byril's worst fears were realized. The village was under attack by a massive group of Bulbin fighters, and the defenders were slowly being whittled down by the bows and swords of the attackers. The Sheikah were deadly with their knives, but only when they could get close enough to use them. As a result, they were slowly being forced back towards the temple, where the Elders, the elderly, and the children would be.

Byril saw all of this before they hit the bottom of the hill and clashed with the Bulbin Forces. The King had sent a small army with him – not to mention an honor guard for his father's body – with everything from lances to bows, and pinning the Bulbins between the hammer of the Royal Knights and the Anvil of the dwindling but determined Sheikah forces was enough to turn the tide. Byril was tempted to charge in himself, but he couldn't fight while holding Kyro in his only good arm. Instead, he dismounted and ran around, trying to help the wounded, and close the eyes of the dead. By the time he was finished, the Knights were pursuing the fleeing Bulbins, and those who couldn't fight were coming out of the Temple.

He made his way up to them, followed by those who could stand and walk – which was pitifully few. Shie made her way to the front and cast her gaze around the burning village. Before the attack, there had been more than a thousand of them living there. Now, she estimated only a few hundred remained. Her gaze fell on Byril, who was mounting the last steps and kneeling, her eyes full of sorrow.

"Rise Byril, there is no time for ceremony if we are to save the wounded. I fear it is too late for the Village, the best we can hope for is that the fires will not spread to the Temple."

Byril rose at her command, and looked around for his mother before he realized something. Slowly, he turned and looked towards the edge of the Village, where his home was, or rather, where it had been. Through the smoke, he could see that is was no more than a pile of burning rubble, the trampled plains around it making it all too clear where the invaders had come from.

He felt Shie's hand on his shoulder, and he fell to his knees, Kyro just beginning to wail at his brother's distress.

The Grand Elder said, "I'm so sorry Byril, there was nothing we could do for her." She looked around once more, and then helped him to his feet, before turning back to the assembled Sheikah behind them. Addressing the entire congregation, "These are dark times for us, and there will come a time soon for mourning our honorable dead. The first priority is to aid the wounded we can help, and give the mercy stroke to those we cannot. After that, we will send them all on to the sacred realm, where they may live forever at the side of the goddesses. The foes who fell here today will beget no such honor, may their souls rot in the darkness for all eternity."

As they made their way down to the Village, the Royal Knights returned, only a handful of them had been injured, and none killed. The tally of the living and the release of the dead went swiftly with them all helping, but after it all, there were barely a hundred of the Hylian Sheikah left, while Shie suspected that the other Clans were in danger of - or had already been under - attack. The decision made was to move to Hyrule Castle, until their numbers grew enough to return and rebuild.

Throughout all of this, Byril was sitting on the Temple steps at Shie's command, along with anyone who was wounded and able to sit up. He had protested at first, they all had, but then, one by one, they all went to rest while those who weren't injured – mostly meaning the knights – followed Shie's other directions.

When it was finished, the remaining Sheikah doubled up on horses with the Knights to begin the journey to Hyrule castle to begin anew.

**End of Chapter Two**

**So, what do you guys think? Leave a review and I won't send Byril and the Royal Knights after you.**


	3. Kyro's Test

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Three

Kyro's Test

_Sixteen years after Flight and Fight_

Kyro opened his eyes as the morning sun crept in through the window to his room. It was small compared to most of the living quarters of the palace – especially when compared against the three room suites of Zelda and King Hyran. However, he was glad that the King saw fit to give him a room in the upper palace, since most of the Sheikah who'd lived through the purge now resided either in small villages in the hills, the majority lived in the tunnels beneath Castle town (and within the castle), or spread out over all of Hyrule's holdings.

Kyro and Byril both had rooms in the palace – Kyro because of the Triforce, and Byril because he may have fallen in love with one of the servants and gotten married to her. Byril was also one of the King's top advisors, but he was no longer a standard fighter, not since he took an arrow during the purge – his shoulder muscles had never fully recovered to fighting capacity – but he was often called in by the Elders to give reports on what he heard or seen in the castle. He was also Kyro's usual tutor, as he was one of the few Sheikah living within the castle itself. This basically meant he sparred with Kyro on a regular basis and yelled at him how to fix his technique.

As Kyro got up and put his mask on, the door opened and Byril came in, carrying his youngest daughter and followed by his son, who had been born five years after they came to the castle. Kurai was ten years old as of last week, and had received his mask then like all Sheikah children.

Kyro smiled behind his mask, and took Mary from Byril, who shook his left arm a little to get the blood flowing through more smoothly.

Gesturing to it once Mary was situated on his shoulders – she was still losing her baby fat – he asked, "How's the arm today?"

Byril rolled it a couple of times, "Fine, little sore. Just like every morning you ask."

Kyro feigned insult, "Well my apologies for being concerned for my crippled brother!"

Byril laughed, "Well, this is one cripple who you still have trouble beating!"

Kyro started to reply, but was interrupted by Mary bouncing on his shoulders, "No hitting!"

Kyro sighed, Mary had taken more after her mother rather than falling into the Sheikah clans, and becoming a guard for nobles – many of whom the Sheikah would have happily smacked over the head with their own massive suitcases.

He pulled Mary off of his shoulders and carried her to the dining room, where Zelda and the King were busily eating while not spilling any food onto the 'top secret' documents that they were reading – and that Kyro and Byril knew exactly what was on them. Kyro set Mary into a seat across from the crown Princess, and stepped back from the table with Byril and Kurai while the Royals finished. Mary happily bounced in her chair, drawing a smile from the usually withdrawn King.

"Any news on that issue I asked you to look into Byril?"

Kyro looked at his older brother quickly – he hadn't known anything about any 'issue' that the King had personally set Byril on.

Byril responded quickly, "If you mean the gang of Bulbins near the Eldin Bridge area . . . let's just say they won't be robbing anyone soon."

The King nodded and stamped a final document, then pushed his plate back with a satisfied sigh, "Thank you, did you see to it personally?"

Byril looked at his shoulder sarcastically, then back to the King with humor in his eyes, "I sent the best."

Kyro nudged him with an elbow, "Then why don't I remember dealing with it?"

Byril jostled him back, and replied jokingly, "Because your skills don't quite keep up with your ego."

Zelda burst out laughing, which pulled the attention of everyone in the room. She took a drink of water and coughed briefly, and then stood up, "Father, I'll go finish these in the study." She took the remainder of the scrolls with her as she walked towards the stairs, Kyro hurrying to assist her on the way up.

The King stopped him, "Kyro, may we speak for a moment?"

The young Sheikah was confused, but nodded, and followed the King up to his office. As he closed the door behind him, he became aware of eight pairs of eyes on him, plus the king's. He turned slightly, "Is this an interview or an execution your majesty? I can't recall a time when you had more than two Sheikah watching you."

Hyran was impressed by the young man's perception, "Ah, yes. These are not the most peaceful times, as I'm sure you well know. The threat isn't as far outside as the people believe either."

Kyro nodded, and the King continued, "Overreaching nobles, unsatisfied commoners, and other such people threaten the safety of the kingdom. Many don't really understand how fragile the system really is, and that's what I would like to speak with you about."

The King stood and paced behind his desk, "There may come a time when there is a successful attempt on my life. If that happens, Zelda will be the only living heir to the throne. If she were to be killed, not only will the Kingdom be thrown into disarray, but the Triforce of Wisdom will be lost, perhaps never to resurface. I know that you and Zelda are good friends, so I wanted to ask you a favor."

Kyro took a couple of steps forward and knelt in front of the desk, "I am ever a loyal servant of the Crown."

Hyran relaxed a fraction, Byril may have said the boy's ego outstripped his skill, but he'd seen Kyro in action, he might not quite be marked yet – mainly because he wouldn't be old enough for another year until he turned seventeen – but his record was taking on three of his trainers – all in peak condition – at a time and taking them all down. He was most likely going into the shadowstars, the Sheikah elite, which would mean fighting all of the clan masters at once. Hyran nodded, he was mostly certain about his choice, but he wanted to be sure.

"You've been friends with Zelda since you both could walk. What would you do for her?"

Kyro considered a moment, "I would step between her and a drawn bow."

The King's eyebrows went up, he'd known that the two of them were close friends, but he hadn't expected that . . . sheer loyalty.

He continued, "I want you to be a personal guard for Princess Zelda. Please, protect her."

Kyro's head jerked up, and his eyes were wide behind his mask, partly because the King _never_ said please. He stammered, "My, my lord? Are you certain about this? Surely you've considered more . . . experienced, Sheikah?" Kyro was stunned by the King's request, being a personal guard for a member of the royal family was a rare – not to mention great – honor.

Hyran nodded again, "Very sure. I've seen you fight my boy, I've had reports from all of your trainers, and they agree with me." _For the most part, _Hyran thought, _I haven't actually spoken with Byril about it, but . . . oh well. _"Do you accept?"

Kyro bent his head back down, "I am honored to accept my lord."

Hyran closed his eyes and let out a breath, "Thank you Kyro, I'm sure you will do well." He pulled a drawer on his desk open and pulled out a dagger, forged by the best smith in the kingdom, "Here, wear it with pride."

Kyro took the dagger with hands that were nearly shaking. He looked over the sheath and hilt, both were finely wrought, but not extravagantly decorated. He looked at the King, who nodded and gestured for him to draw it. When it came out, it made the _shrrinng _that was unavoidable when pulling metal across metal, but it was barely there. He looked over the blade carefully – it matched the craftsmanship of the sheath and hilt – very functional, very well made, not overly decorative, the most fashion it had was the Triforce hammered into the pommel. He replaced it in the sheath and put it onto his shoulder, replacing his current knife which had belonged to his father before the Purge. That knife was placed into the small pouch on his waist before he looked back to the King and knelt again.

"Is there anything else my lord?"

The King smiled at him, "Yes, there's a banquet tonight, I know the Sheikah prefer to stick out of the limelight, but I would appreciate it if you would provide a bit of entertainment, Byril has agreed to spar with you if you'd like, and I was hoping you could play one of the songs you have on those panpipes of yours that you wrote for Zelda." He smiled as the skin around Kyro's eyes turned beet red, and he cut off the stammering reply the boy tried to pull together. "Oh it's all right; Zelda doesn't have many friends, certainly not ones her age."

Kyro's head dropped, "Very well my lord, I'll think of something."

Hyran smiled, "Thank you, dismissed."

As Kyro left, Hyran's smile vanished, and Byril stepped out from where he'd been standing in a hidden niche, "You spoke with _all _of his trainers, My Lord?"

Hyran glanced at him, "You know he's more than capable Byril, and I want Zelda to be guarded well. Besides, would you have said no?"

Byril considered for a long moment, "Probably not. I would prefer that he had been tested first though."

Hyran shook his head, "No, he won't be eligible for the Sheikah Study for another six months, and I don't want to wait that long. Anyway, there hasn't even been a rumor of any plans, even among your people; it takes a long time to plot the assassination of a king who is surrounded by master fighters and assassins."

Byril conceded the fact, "Even so, he is young, and so is she."

Hyran stopped him, "I have every faith in Zelda not to be sidetracked from her duties. Do you lack faith in your brother?"

()()()()

_Three floors down and halfway across the castle_

Guran fell into step with Kyro as he made his way back to his room – conveniently located just above Zelda's. As he glanced at her, and made the standard Sheikah salute – a closed fist over the heart – she chuckled.

"In a bit of a hurry to get somewhere Kyro?" She laughed some more, "I am well aware that the King has asked you to duel Byril tonight, as well as play some music for the guests, but the banquet is not until tonight. Do you think someone will make an attempt on Zelda's life in the time it takes for you to cross the palace at a walk?"

Kyro slowed down to a more natural pace, "Of course not Elder Guran. It's just that I'm a little nervous, being assigned as Zelda's guard, being asked to play for the party, it's a busy day for me. It would have been nice to have a little more warning."

Guran chuckled again, "Oh relax, you have considerable skill with the pipes. Oh, and Kanai and Tola will be playing with you as well, so you can do the songs you have as a group. It's not as if you have to dance or anything – goddesses forbid."

Kyro grinned and turned a little red behind his mask – the Triforce of Skill gave him great benefits, but it didn't help his dancing one bit. It was something he'd ruefully learned at Byril's wedding. "Am I expected to be dressed formally? Or should I just wear the usual gear?"

Guran nudged him with an elbow, "You're performing for the majority of the Kingdom's nobility. Use your head."

Kyro groaned and dropped his head, "No offense Elder, but I feel kind of . . . extravagant, in the formal outfits."

Guran laughed again, she seemed to be in a good mood this morning. "Ah Kyro, you're representing the Sheikah as a people tonight. Byril is going in formal wear, as are the others – at least, the ones who are performing. The ones who will be staying out of sight get to dress normally."

Kyro sighed and stopped at his door, "Well, I'd better make sure everything is together. The nobility will have my hide if I'm late – I don't even want to think about what Byril will do."

As he entered his room, he closed his eyes and waited to feel if anyone was watching him before pulling his mask off. Crossing to the wardrobe, he pulled out his formal armor and mask; laying them on the bed to be sure they were out.

Opening the chest at the foot of his bed, he pushed aside the harp there and pulled out his panpipes. He sat cross legged on the bed and blew each one to make sure it was clear, before playing into the first song he had planned. He played several, then moved on to the slower ones in his repertoire – it was a banquet, then a dance. The music would have to be slow enough for the intoxicated nobles to keep up. When he had a good range of songs picked out, he donned his mask and went to find the others he played with.

()()()()

Maray opened the case in her room at the bar after she'd looked carefully through the room to catch anyone watching. Not finding anyone, she nodded to her partner, who pulled out his knives and made sure they were razor sharp. Maray pulled out her bow, a massive length of wood that had a draw weight of nearly eighty pounds. She flexed the string a few times, then unstrung it and put it back. Then she checked her arrows, making sure each one of the dozen was tipped with a razor sharp broad head – if everything went well, she'd only need one, but the thing about plans was they didn't survive implementation.

She looked over at her partner, and they put their weapons out of sight for the moment. They wouldn't be leaving for a while.

They were going to a dance tonight.

()()()()

Kyro looked around at the massive crowd of people – he hadn't known there were this many nobles in Hyrule. Not all of them were standard Hylian, for certain. There were some of the Zora people, and a few Gorons scattered through the crowd. But they made up only a small fraction of the hundred guests present that night. He took a deep breath as they were bid to move to line the grand hallway to clear a space for him and Byril's combat, and looked over at his brother. Byril glanced back at him, "Well, these people want a show, let's give 'em one."

Kyro nodded, and they walked out of the Shadows surrounding the throne.

There was a smattering of applause as they walked out, and Kyro's mismatched eyes instinctively noted which ones had concealed weapons, and of them, which ones knew how to use them. Nearly all of them had at least one, but he couldn't see any apart from the Hylian Council and the Zora Queen Rutela who stood as if they knew how to use them. On the contrary, he and Byril wore no weapons whatsoever, concealed or otherwise. The formal armor didn't have anywhere to hold them.

Kyro was still pretty sure that he and Byril could take on the whole crowd – Minus the Gorons.

As Kyro and Byril took their stances about twenty feet apart from each other, Zelda couldn't help but admire the skill put into their outfits. Each one was an altered version of the standard armor, but it was jet black, with gold designs stitched into it on the Chest and shoulders. Byril's armor had the symbol of the Sheikah on his chest, with a golden cloud signifying his rank. The shadowclouds were the one of the highest ranking Sheikah there were – second only to the shadowstars. As of yet, Byril hadn't lost a fight with Kyro in less than ten minutes, but Zelda doubted that Kyro was willing to let that time stand.

In contrast to Byril's cloud and Sheikah symbols, Kyro's armor was detailed with the Triforce on his chest, while his shoulders were blank, symbolizing his lack of rank within the clan. His Green and Blue eyes were steady on Byril behind the white mask he wore, starkly contrasting the dark armor.

As the referee of the Match called it to start and got the heck out of the way, Zelda recalled what she knew about the rules of ceremonial combat.

_Uh, the first one is no killing your opponent, I think. That might be the second. The second – or is it first – rule is that you have to fight honorably, no weapons in other words, hitting the back is fine, but hitting the . . . soft spot . . . is a no-no. Are there any other rules? I don't think so. The Ref is mostly just to say Fight, and that's about it._

Zelda's train of thought was broken as the distance between Kyro and Byril closed rapidly, and then was completely gone. Then the two Sheikah were closed with each other, punching, blocking, kicking, grabbing, disengaging, and doing all sorts of other things that Zelda couldn't think the names of almost faster than her eyes could keep track of them. After what seemed like a lifetime, but was only a few minutes, the two disengaged fully to recover their breath before closing again.

()()()()

Kyro breathed deeply and touched his side where Byril had gotten in a pretty solid hit more than once. He knew he was in better shape than his brother though, Byril was doing a good job of hiding it, but Kyro could tell he was hurting by the way his chest was moving. He was breathing a bit more shallowly that Kyro, which probably meant the hits Kyro had rained on his chest had taken their toll. They each got one more breath in before leaping back towards each other.

Instantly, things seemed to move in slow motion to Kyro, and he could see what Byril was going to do before it happened. He didn't need to look down to see that his Triforce was glowing, the gasp from the crowd told him everything he needed to know. He swayed to the side to let the fake from Byril's weak side pass him up, and then he grabbed the fist coming towards him in an uppercut before it made contact. Byril's eyes widened as Kyro's hand closed around his, and then Kyro was behind him twisting his arm. Kyro maneuvered so that he was next to Byril, then delivered a hard knee to his brother's stomach, followed by an elbow to the back of the head. He released his brother and shook his arm out for a moment – Byril was the only person he knew with a harder head than his, both figuratively and literally – before helping him back to his feet. The moved so that they were side by side facing the king and bowed, before the King rose.

"Ha ha ha, well fought warriors! Well fought indeed. I'm sure that everyone appreciated the demonstration, and enjoyed it as much as I did." The cook ran out of the kitchens and whispered something in Hyran's ear, before hurrying back out of the hall, "Well, my cook tells me that Dinner is taking longer than expected, so let's have some music and a dance before we eat hmm?"

Kyro took the hint and booked it over to the pillar his Panpipes were on. Climbing up it using handholds that were only known to the Sheikah, he took his place at a ledge near the top before grabbing his instrument and nodding to Kanai and Tola before bringing the pipes up beneath his mask to his mouth to play. Tola nodded back and started a slow beat, it was a pretty simple song they'd agreed to start with, but it was also quite a good one. As Kanai swung her way into the song with her harp, Kyro waited a few moments, then took a breath and began to play. Looking down – vertigo was one thing that very few Sheikah dealt with – he saw the wondrous expressions on the faces of the stunned nobles and committed it to memory – he took great pleasure in putting noble people down a notch - when they weren't royal of course. After a few songs, the cook came back out and nodded up to him. He relayed the nod to the other players, meaning one more song, and set the pipes down, taking a deep breath along with the others.

The new beat and lack of the panpipes caught Zelda off guard for a moment, but then words drifted down with the sound of the harp and drums and she recognized the song. It was a faster paced dance, and more complicated, but it was well known throughout the land.

The lyrics however, weren't.

_On the road,_

_Far from home,_

_Forever do we roam,_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh,_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh_

_In the deep,_

_And the dark,_

_We'll go far,_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh,_

_oh-oh-oh-oh_

_Well come on then,_

_Fight for the win,_

_Oh-oh-oh,_

_Near journey's end,_

_Home again,_

_Oh-oh-oh_

The song continued for a few minutes, and then the lyrics drifted off, followed by a falling off of the harp, then the pipes returned briefly before ending with the drums.

As servants came out and pulled the assorted bits of the table into one long feasting table, as well as bringing chairs in, cooks brought out a large variety of foods from all over Hyrule. Roasted Bullbos, stews, fish platters, salads, there was food for every appetite. Zelda felt a pang of regret at eating like this, knowing that the servants would get their pick of the scraps along with their meager dinners, instead of being able to eat along with them, but then it faded. From the amount of food here, there would be substantially more than scraps left afterwards.

Kyro's stomach growled slightly at the aroma of food coming from the table, and the three Sheikah perched at the tops of the pillars tied their instruments to their belts and half climbed-half slid down to the floor. They landed softly, all of them dressed formally, none of them with a clan marking on their shoulders. They had a couple of songs planned for after the dinner, which were laid out according to the amount of alcohol they were expecting the nobles to intake.

A glint near the entrance drew Kyro's eye, and then it was moving up, along the table, towards the head.

Or, more accurately, towards Zelda.

Before Kyro had even fully registered it, or recognized what it was, he was moving forwards, placing himself between her and it just before it arrived.

The knife hit Kyro high in the chest, and he toppled over backwards. The nobles around him screamed in surprise and fear, even as the Sheikah all along the hall stepped out of the shadows and swarmed the assassin.

One moment Zelda was raising a piece of roasted Bullbos to her mouth, the next Kyro was standing next to her, and the moment after that he was laid out across her lap with a silver-hilted knife in him. She let out a shriek that was lost in the screams of the other Hylian nobles as they rose to their feet in panic and ran around like cuccoos with their heads cut off.

The Gorons present moved quickly to form a protective ring around Zelda, who was setting Kyro's bleeding form onto the floor, as Queen Rutela arrived at her side, pressing her hands around the knife to put pressure on the wound. Zelda fell back as her father arrived, along with Byril and the Sheikah who'd played with Kyro at the start of the night. Byril quickly snatched one of the silky napkins from the table and used it to apply further pressure while Tola ran for the doctor. When the man arrived, the bloodstain on Kyro's chest was scarily wide, and still spreading. Without a word, the Doctor moved Byril to one side, had Tola ready a bandage, and took a firm hold of the knife. As the blade came free with a sick squelching sound, Tola instantly set the bandage, pushing down hard while Kanai and Byril wrapped his hands to Kyro's chest with more of the course white material.

When Tola extracted his hand from the bandages, the sliver of visible skin around Kyro's closed eyes was frighteningly pale, and his breaths were shallow. Hyran was kneeling next to Zelda, his arm around her as she sobbed into her hands, and Rutela had stood and fetched some water after cleaning the blood from her scales. Byril and the other Sheikah knelt around Kyro with the doctor, waiting for Kyro's eyes to open. Their hands were all bloody, and a small amount of blood was starting to show through the bandages, but it was slowing, according to the Doctor.

A groan escaped Kyro, and his eyes slowly flickered open, first the green, then the blue. He slowly reached up with one hand and put it against his head, removing it and complying with the doctor's tests to make sure he was alright. Or at least as alright as one could be when one had just been stabbed with a knife.

"B-By-ril?" Kyro's voice was faint, and Byril took his hand.

"I'm here Kyro, you're fine." Byril gestured for queen Rutela to come forward with the water, and he tilted Kyro's head up as he drank. "I've seen worse."

Kyro scoffed, and then his eyes shut tight as pain wracked his body, and he groaned again, his voice still faint. "Liar. At the very least, I'm not sure I've _felt_ worse." His eyes opened again, and he turned his head slightly, so that he was looking straight at his brother, "Princess . . .?"

Byril nodded, "Safe and sound, although crying like, well, like a girl." Kanai smacked him, "Ouch! Okay, like a little girl."

Zelda looked up, and moved forward, "Thank you for saving my life Kyro. I don't know how to even start repaying you."

Kyro shook his head slightly, "Just doing my job Princess. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Zelda was confused a moment, and then looked at her father with wide eyes, "Did you . . . did you tell him to do that?"

Hyran crawled forwards as well, as regally as he could, "My apologies Kyro. I didn't expect something like this to happen so soon." Answering Zelda's question, "I didn't tell him to do that specifically, but I did ask him to keep you safe, in the event something like this should happen."

Zelda took Kyro's free hand, "I'm so, so,"

Kyro stopped her, his voice gaining strength, though not much. "Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault. Besides, I would have done it regardless of whether he'd asked or not."

The doctor scoffed, "Hmph! You Sheikah, does your loyalty know no bounds? A few inches in any direction and you'd have been dead by the time I got here. You were extremely lucky that knife didn't kill you!"

Zelda's hands flew to her mouth, and her eyes filled back up with tears, before she could say anything though, a soft voice came from above her, and a pale hand came to rest on her shoulder, "Do not fear my child, we will tend to his wound."

Zelda looked up into the face of the Sage of Spirit and nodded, "thank you sages. Thank you so much."

Hyran gathered himself, and started to stand, "Well, this has turned into one great mess. All the same Kyro, thank you for saving my daughter, especially considering the manner in which you did it." He reached his full height and gestured for the Gorons to disperse from where they were still standing around them. Kyro's eyes widened and his mouth opened to say something, but his warning was too late.

The arrow hissed out of nowhere and slammed into the back of King Hyran IV.

He was dead before he hit the floor.

Zelda screamed as the assassin dropped their bow and fled through the gate. A group of the Sheikah ran after them, but the murderer vanished into the rain before they reached the square.

()()()()

Maray fled into the night and rain, and back towards the bar where she and Terrance had stayed the days before. It didn't seem real, killing the King or losing her partner. They'd gone through some of the most dangerous areas of Hyrule, killed so many nobles, and they'd always gotten out together. Now though, Terrance was a dead man, and his death would probably be long and agonizing. She pulled out her dagger – a birthday present from the man himself – and looked at her reflection in it. The job was only half done, he'd done his part, but that stupid Sheikah had gotten in the way. Her only consolation was that the Sheikah was probably dead, and so was the King.

Before the next morning however, she had a princess to kill.

()()()()

Kyro lay quietly in his bed as the Sages wrapped him in a cocoon of energy to restore his body, mending the wound made by the knife meant for Zelda. His chest rose and fell slowly, and Zelda watched from her seat at the foot of his bed with her knees pulled up to her chest, her chin resting on them. The sages finished their task and the energy dispersed. Kyro slept peacefully, the bloodstain on his clothes shrinking as the blood was pulled back into his body. Zelda accepted Byril's hand and they made their way down to her room.

When they reached it, Zelda turned to Byril, her eyes full of emotion, from relief at Kyro's healing to sorrow at the death of her father, and many things in between. She opened her mouth to ask a question, then thought differently and closed it. Byril answered the question anyway, "He'll be fine. He's tough, he's still young, and he has five powerful magic users exhausting themselves to fix him. By the time they leave his room he'll be as good as new."

Zelda smiled a little, and then turned into her room, closing the door before letting her emotions wash up and over her, her tears spilling out as a sob wracked her body. She made her way over to her bed without bothering to change into her sleeping clothes and fell in, emotionally and physically exhausted, but unable to fall asleep for hours.

()()()()

Zelda's eyes snapped open as a rough hand clapped over her mouth, preventing her from screaming loud enough to wake the dead – or at all. She locked on to a shadow above her, definitely not friendly, from the knife it held raised above it.

A woman's voice sounded, "Well my little princess, since your daddy and I know each other already, maybe it's time I send you on to meet him. I'm sure you wouldn't mind that."

Zelda's mind was locked down in terror, knowing that she was about to die at the hands of the same person who killed her father. She cleared her face and closed her eyes though; she didn't want her killer to know she had broken her.

Zelda waited calmly for the knife to tear her open. What she didn't expect was for the killer to grunt, and she certainly didn't expect to hear Kyro's sarcastic voice. "You know miss, in some cultures, it's considered _very rude _to try to kill a princess. In my culture, it's plain mean, and we just don't appreciate it."

Maray struggled vainly against the iron grip that had locked around her wrist, her eyes widening in disbelief as the Sheikah her partner had taken out seemed to come out of nowhere to stop her from completing her job. She grunted with effort, and then tried punching the boy, but he contemptuously caught her fist, a light flashing into her eyes from the back of his hand.

Kyro was most unhappy with the second attempt being made on Zelda's life in one day. He'd been woken up by the light emitting from the Triforce shining at full radiance, and he'd made his way down a floor through the passages in the walls that only the Sheikah knew of.

He addressed the now future queen, "Hey Zelda, would you care to be a big help and open the window? I think it's getting a little stuffy in here."

Maray tried her best to break free of the boy's grip, but her struggles were entirely in vain, as a cold wind blew through the now open frame and she was forced back towards it. "You're dead! You have to be! I saw you take that knife, there's no way you could have survived that!"

Kyro's eyes grinned, a bit of a feral look to them, "Well then _Maray_ – oh yeah, I know who you are – I guess you didn't do your homework." He forced her back another step, the back of her knees now against the sill, the wind lashing at the two of them, "You aren't dealing with commoners, or normal guards." He shoved against her, throwing her off balance so that her upper body was leaning out over the grounds, "You're plain out of your league."

With that, he shoved her again, but this time he let go, letting the assassin tumble towards the ground, far, far, below.

Kyro stepped back and pulled the windows shut, latching them securely. Almost as soon as he turned back towards the room, he was nearly tackled by Zelda grabbing him in a tight hug.

"Oh by the goddesses Kyro, I thought that you weren't coming!" Zelda regained control of herself and loosened up a bit as Kyro's arms went around her in return, "Byril said you'd be fine, but, but I-"

Kyro finished for her, "Didn't believe him?" He gently pushed her back so that they were at arm's length, and gave her a quick look up and down, "She didn't knick you anywhere, did she?"

Zelda was shocked that he was worried about _her_, when he'd just grappled with a deadly bounty hunter/assassin, and nearly dying and had been healed by the sages. A worried look came into his eyes when she didn't respond, and she recovered quickly enough to reassure him, "No, I mean, yes, I'm fine. She didn't hurt me."

His eyes relaxed, "Okay, call me if you need anything."

He went over to the wall and ran his hand along it, as if looking for something. His fingers caught on one of the bricks that protruded just the smallest amount from the rest of the wall, and he pulled down hard on it. A section of the wall slid down without a sound, big enough for two people to walk side by side in. Zelda caught his arm before he entered, "Wait, if it's not too much to ask, would, would you stay here for the night? It was hard enough to fall asleep before, but now . . ." Zelda's voice trailed off as she looked into Kyro's eyes.

Kyro nodded, "Of course, I'll be right back. Watch your hand."

With that he disappeared into the passage, which closed behind him, forcing Zelda to yank her hand back with a slight yelp before it was crushed between the door and the rest of the wall. She changed into her nightshift, and had just gotten back beneath the covers of her bed when the wall came back down, and Kyro returned, this time carrying a harp.

"The panpipes would probably be a bit loud for this time of night, so this just seemed better." Kyro walked over and sat down cross-legged next to her bed – close enough to be protective, but far enough to keep things simple between them, if a servant came in before they woke up. Zelda closed her eyes as he strummed the first few notes of a soft song, the notes rising and falling like the tide, pulling her down into sleep.

Kyro finished the song and set the harp in his lap, letting his head down so he could rest. He was confident that if a threat came in while he was sleeping, two things would wake him up. The first thing was that all Sheikah were trained to be selectively light sleepers, they could hear something in their sleep, identify it, identify what caused it, and differentiate between a threat and something that was not a threat. The second thing was the Triforce on the back of his hand, which shone like a sun if he – or apparently Zelda, as of tonight – was in danger.

()()()()

The morning sun came in through the window and woke Zelda up, the previous day's events seeming like a distant – and horrible dream. She stretched, and actually thought she'd simply had a nightmare, until she noticed Kyro sitting next to her bed. Her eyes closed again and her heart filled with sadness, but it was reinforced with an iron resolve to be a good ruler, especially when things got rough.

The door opened and Byril entered, speaking softly to not wake the sleeping boy up, "I figured he'd be in here when his bed was empty. I'm guessing that it's not a coincidence that there's a body smashed against the ground down below?"

Zelda opened her eyes and looked at him, "No, she was some assassin; I think Kyro called her Mary or something. She, she said she was the one who killed my father."

Byril sucked in a quick breath, "Was it Maray?" When Zelda nodded, he let out a low whistle, "I've got to say, the kid's good. She's killed more of us that most any single person in this era. Not to mention she's probably the deadliest bounty hunter alive. Well, not _alive, _but, you know what I mean."

"Does that mean I get a reward for tossing her out a window? I think half of it would go to Zelda, seeing as she's the one who opened it in the first place." Kyro spoke up suddenly, making them both jump like guilty children caught stealing from the cookie jar.

Byril laughed, "Heh, already back to your usual self huh? That's a relief, the sages are good, but I've heard rumors that sometimes the healing goes . . . wrong."

Kyro smiled behind his mask, if his brother wanted proof he was back, he'd give it to him.

"How's your arm today?"

**End of Chapter Three**

**So, leave a review, and I won't ressurect Maray and hire her to find you. Thank you for your support!**

**In case anyone's wondering, the lyrics to the last song were written to Saria's theme/lost woods from O.o.T., and the song Kyro played on his harp was Zelda's lullaby, for obvious reasons.**

**But seriously people, please, leave a review.**

**To Fairytail88: Thank you so much for the review! Maray's main motivation was that she was a bounty hunter, and someone somewhere wanted her and Terrance to eliminate the royal family. She'd never failed before, and if she didn't get the whole job done, she didn't get paid, her loyalty is to who pays her, and the amount of loyalty she gives increases with her pay.**


	4. A Change in the Winds

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Four

A Change in the winds

Kyro stood up straight as the last of the Hyrule guards hit the ground with an audible _oof_ of breath leaving their body. He looked around at the sessions work; nine fully armored guards were lying around in various positions of immense pain. He'd gone easy on them – they were still conscious weren't they? He looked up at the sound of clapping, and his Brother strolled down the steps into the arena, followed by the masters of the Shadowstriker, Shadowblade, and the Shadowheart clans. There were six clans in all, Shadowstars, the clan Kyro was aiming for, Shadowclouds, the clan that Byril led, the Shadowstrikers, the Shadowblades, the Shadowhearts, and the Shadowmoons – in descending order of rank. Kyro grinned, he'd beaten the lower ranking masters all in one fight before, but this would be the first time he took on four at once.

As the four masters took their stances in various positions around the arena, Kyro noticed that the Elder was standing at the balcony overlooking them, accompanied by the Heir Approaching herself, which was another surprise in itself – Zelda hadn't come to watch him fight before.

The Elder raised her staff and brought it down on the stone balcony with a _crack_, and the fight began. Kyro was careful this time, dodging the majority of the blows from all sides was tricky, but he managed it. How he did so however, he wasn't quite sure.

It took a while, but he noticed that the Shadowheart master was beginning to flag, he dodged Byril's fist, ducked underneath the other two master's attacks, and swept his leg around in a scything motion to get him some room. As the masters leapt back, he pushed off the ground and jumped at Korreiak, the Shadowheart master. The master was quick to respond to his first punch, a little slower to the second, and was completely unable to stop Kyro from getting behind him and knocking him flat down onto his stomach.

He registered movement behind him and fell forward to avoid a strike at the back of his head, landing on his palms and toes, pushing up and backwards to kick whoever it was in the gut. He was rewarded with a grunt of pain, and he regained his feet as Byril and Shadowblade master Harlong closed with him again. Jumping backward, he landed behind Toran, the Shadowstriker master, as the man regained his feet.

He didn't stay on them for long.

Kyro kicked his legs out from under him and grabbed an ankle as Toran went down. He spun and launched him at the other two as they came up on him. The three of them went down – Toran stayed there – but Byril and Harlong were quick to regain their feet.

Kyro kept to a fighting retreat for a while, keeping up his guard and doing his best not to let either of them behind him. His eyes locked on to Harlong, and he kicked Byril in the stomach to get some room. Closing with the third master, he locked himself into overdrive for a few moments, slipping into the diamond of concentration as easily as a Zora into water. He was yanked out of it by Byril however, who'd come up behind him and pulled his arms back, locking them into place.

Kyro fought against his brother's grip for a few moments, but then stopped as Harlong's fists started striking him, without cease or mercy. As the master took a few steps back to catch his breath, Kyro saw his way out. When Harlong came back in, he put one foot on the man's knee, pushed up, and twisted his arms out of Byril's grip as he kicked Harlong in the face for good measure.

He landed behind Byril as the Shadowcloud master turned to face him. Both were breathing heavily, but Kyro was also in pain from his beating at Harlong's hands, fists, whichever, whereas Byril hadn't been hit (apart from when Toran had collided with him).

Zelda gasped as Kyro flipped up over Byril, kicking Master Harlong in the face on his way. He took a moment before closing with Byril, both Sheikah using every part of their bodies as a weapon of some kind.

Kyro grinned behind his mask, catching Byril's fist in one hand, and knocking away the flat hand strike that was coming in from the side. He twisted around behind his brother so that they were back to back, with Byril's arm twisted so that his arm was sticking out over Kyro's shoulder. Kyro twisted for a moment, then let go and kicked backwards, hard. His foot connected with the small of Byril's back, and his brother went flying away. He groaned for a moment, before regaining his feet and glaring at Kyro from behind his mask, hazel eyes meeting Green and blue ones for a long moment.

Elder Guran's staff cracked against the floor again, signaling the end of the fight. The rules were that once a Sheikah hit the ground without control, they were out. In that light, Byril and Harlong had technically been out when Kyro hit them with Toran, but the Elder let the fight go on for a while longer, feeling that Kyro was just as eager to beat the other two as they were to beat him.

As the two Sheikah bowed, and helped their compatriots to their feet, Kyro wondered why Zelda was there watching him. His face burned a little at the thought that she may have just come to watch him fight, but the Princess – Queen – of Hyrule rarely did anything for one reason alone.

_Oh damn and blast, King Hyran's funeral is later today, isn't it!_ Kyro thought, and the looks Byril was throwing him confirmed his suspicions. _Zelda and Elder Guran have something for me to do for it._

He bowed to the pair again with the other four, stepping carefully around the still groaning forms of the guards, only one of whom was just now staggering to his feet. He put a hand to his head once his helmet was off – getting hit in the face while wearing a metal bell on one's head was _not_ comfortable.

As he and the other Sheikah arrived on the balcony, he saw the formal outfits laying across one of the seats, and Kanai and Tola had joined the Queen and Elder. He closed his eyes, "Is this going where I think it is?"

Zelda and the Elder nodded, "Yes, you're playing. Is there a problem Kyro?" Zelda asked, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Kyro was tempted to glare at her, but decided against it – Zelda was one of very few people who he couldn't intimidate, and the Elder would probably just whack him. He groaned instead, "No your highness, no problem at all. I do hope I have enough time to wash before the ceremonies though?"

Zelda nodded, he _was _smelling a little ripe, he'd been in the arena taking down her guards like training dummies for hours.

Kyro bowed to them again, before grabbing his formal outfit and heading for the Sheikah baths.

As he stepped down into the water, it was pleasantly warm, not scalding, or cold, the castle had a system of collecting the rainwater into containers, where it was heated by the sun, and then released into the tubs at the pull of a lever. He settled in, and sighed, he felt like he'd done a good job of hiding it, but Harlong punched _hard_ when he was fighting.

He washed and dried quickly, with one of the soft cotton towels provided. Pulling on his mask and arranging it loose enough to play the pipes through it, he looked down at himself. The sages magic had pulled the blood out of his formal wear, and back into his body, and the servants had repaired the tear made by the knife, but he couldn't help but feel as though he'd just come out of a battle in it. Maybe it was just his brush with death last week, or it might have been his imagination.

"All ready?" Tola's voice sounded behind him. Kyro suppressed the urge to jump, the three of them loved sneaking up on each other, and Tola especially enjoyed catching Kanai off guard.

Kyro was fairly certain that Tola had a crush on her.

Kyro gave his pipes a quick blow to make sure that they were ready, and nodded to Tola. As the two of them descended to the main hall of the palace, they were joined by Kanai, who was coming from the girl's washroom with Zelda. The girls were both dressed in mourning clothes – formal wear for the Sheikah, a black dress with a matching veil for Zelda. As they came to the final flight of stairs, Zelda took the lead, followed by Kyro, who was flanked by Kanai and Tola. Hyran's coffin was waiting in the courtyard, a light mist giving the morning a supernatural quality.

The instruments were waiting for them on the steps leading to the main doors, Tola picked up his drums, Kanai her harp, while Kyro pulled his pipes out of his belt. They hadn't had any time to prepare, so Kyro looked to Byril for cues. Byril nodded to him, meaning _the dirge of death, _the normal song of farewell for the Sheikah.

Kyro lifted his pipes, as Tola and Kanai prepared their own instruments. Hyran's coffin was lifted by a squad of Knights as they began. The other two could sing while playing, so Kyro left that part to them.

_By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie hills,_

_Where the sun shines bright on Hylia,_

_Where we and our loved ones were ever wanting to go,_

_On the bonnie bonnie banks of Hylia._

_Oh! He'll take the high road, and we'll take the low road,_

_And he'll be in Hyrule afore we,_

_But we and our loved ones will never meet again,_

_On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Hylia._

_'Twas then that we parted, In yon shady glen,_

_On the steep, steep sides of Hylia,_

_Where, in purple hue, The highland hills we view,_

_And the moon coming out in the twilight._

_The wee birdies sing, And the wild flowers spring,_

_And in sunshine the waters sleeping._

_But the broken heart it kens, No second spring again,_

_Though the woeful may cease their greeting._

They faded as the coffin neared the crypts, and stopped completely once it was fully inside. The knights continued on until they were lost in the flickering torchlight, a pillar of smoke rising out of the gap above the final resting place of the kings and queens. As they returned, the door behind them closed with a hollow _boom_, and the procession made its way back to the hall.

()()()()

As the last of the guests made their way inside, most were doing a good job of pushing back their tears, the council wasn't trying to, and a few people were outright sobbing. The Sheikah made their way in unnoticed, sadness in their eyes, but no sign of tears.

Zelda swallowed hard, seeing her father's face so peaceful hurt almost as much as seeing him fall with the arrow protruding from his back. She fought back tears desperately, failing to conceal one swift drop that fled down her cheek.

As the group ascended through the castle towards the throne room, it swelled with the ranks of the servants under the royal family. The doors to the area outside the throne room were opened by a pair of Sheikah on the other side, who weren't seen as they hurried on into the great hall.

The procession was virtually silent, nobody was talking, and the only sound was that of shuffling feet. As the group behind Zelda stopped, she kept going towards the throne once occupied by her father. Elder Guran waited, the second Elder – Heryll – holding a violet pillow with the crown on it.

Zelda ascended the steps towards them, dimly aware of Kyro's presence behind her, and feeling the weight of the eyes of every person in the hall on her. She knelt in front of Guran, who took both of Zelda's hands in hers as Kyro took his place at Guran's left shoulder.

"Princess Zelda the sixth, do you accept your birthright and role as High Queen of Hyrule and all of its holdings?" Guran asked.

"I do." Zelda replied.

"Do you assume the mantle of the Goddesses link to Hyrule?"

"I do."

"Will you take up the Blade of Hyrule, and use it to deal justice with an even and unprejudiced hand?"

"I will."

Heryll stepped forwards, and Guran took the Crown of Hyrule from the pillow. Raising it above her, Guran proclaimed with a strong voice, "In the name of the Goddesses, in the name of our ancestors, and by all those present here today, I proclaim you to be Queen Zelda the Sixth, ruler of Hyrule and all of her territories."

The Crown of Hyrule – a simple band of gold with a stone at first glance, an intricately carved and shaped one at second glance – descended towards Zelda's brow. As it settled on Zelda's head, she rose.

Guran took the Sword of Hyrule as Kyro held it forward – again, simple at first glance, incredibly unique at second glance – and held it across her palms to Zelda. The girl took it by the handle and stepped forwards as Guran swept to the side, turning and sitting into the throne.

Byril was the first to speak, "The King is dead. Long live the Queen!"

The crowd echoed him, "Long Live the Queen! Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!"

Zelda looked out over the crowd – her subjects now – and then her gaze fastened onto Kyro as he stepped forward and knelt to her.

She nodded, Kyro had sworn to protect _Princess _Zelda the sixth, now that she was Queen, she had to accept an oath of fealty from him.

Zelda stood and drew the sword, "Do you swear to serve and guard me under the Goddesses, to your final breath?"

Kyro's right hand closed into a fist over his heart, his head bowed, "To my final breath."

Zelda nodded as his hand came out and opened. She laid the edge of the sword into it and drew it quickly across, making the cut that would finalize his oath. He stood and moved behind the throne, surreptitiously tying a short bandage around his hand.

As the Nobles came up a swore fealty to her – no oaths of protection for them, meaning that she didn't have to use the sword again – he kept his eyes carefully trained on each one, monitoring them for any indication of a plan of treachery. The Hylian nobles finished and the visiting ambassadors came forward, pledging the allegiance of their country to Zelda, in the event of an attack. The whole process took up a full three hours, each oath taking place individually.

Zelda knew that many of the nobles felt that she was too young, too inexperienced. She knew that most would introduce her to their sons over the course of the next month, trying to get her to cozy up to one of them so they could marry into the royal family.

She also knew that she had no intention of marrying at least until she was midway through her twenties.

As she accepted the last oath of allegiance, a group of guards marched up, accompanied by a shambling figure dressed in rags. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the man who'd tried to kill her, had almost succeeded, and who'd very nearly killed her only real friend.

Terrance Surell Hamre was forced to his knees by the guards who'd brought him here. He knew he was doomed; all he didn't know was how long his death would take. If he was lucky, she would sentence him to the headsman's axe.

Zelda eyed the unkempt figure before her. The assassin wasn't much to look at now that he had been beaten and disarmed, and then dressed in the rags prisoners were given. She sank into her throne and tapped her fingers against the arm.

Terrance opened his mouth to speak, and she made a gesture for him to do so, "please your majesty, have mercy."

A thought struck Zelda, and she smiled slowly. It wasn't a 'sure I'll let you go' smile, it was an 'I just thought of a wonderful way to get rid of you' smile. "Mercy for the man who tried to kill me? I'm afraid the law is quite clear, that's an act of treason, and deserving of death."

Terrance lowered his head, but it snapped back up when she continued, "However . . . since I'm here deciding your fate, and not down in the crypts burning alongside my father . . . I suppose the law can bend."

Kyro was not the only person to turn and look at Zelda, wondering what she was thinking. She solved their thoughts with her next sentence, "I think I'll give you a sporting chance." She gestured for Kyro to step forward, "Here's the man you nearly killed instead of me, he's unarmed, neither are you. Beat him, and you can go." She gestured to the crowd to make as big of a space on the floor as they could for what would probably be a quick fight.

The chains were struck off of Terrance's hands and feet, and he walked down with the Sheikah – who looked to be in remarkably good health for someone the Queen claimed to have taken a knife in the chest a week before. The boy turned towards him as Heryll stepped midway between them.

"Fight!"

Terrence and Kyro leapt at each other, Terrence desperately throwing everything he had at the young Sheikah. At first, it seemed like Terrence was winning, Kyro wasn't even capable of fighting back through the onslaught of punches that Terrence was throwing, but then Terrence realized something that everyone else in the room already knew.

The boy was playing with him.

Almost as the assassin reached that revelation, Kyro decided that he'd had enough fun toying with this dude. He leisurely swayed to the side to let one last punch by, then stepped in close and started beating the convict to a bloody pulp. As he hit his knees, Kyro caught a knife tossed to him by one of the guards. He hauled Terrence to his feet, stepped close, and rammed the knife in up under the man's ribs.

The life drained out of the assassin's eyes as Kyro stepped back and let him fall to the floor. He pulled a piece of cloth out of his pocket meant for cleaning blades, used it for its intended purpose, returned the blade to the guard who'd provided it, and then wiped his hands off as he returned to his position by Zelda's side.

Zelda raised her eyebrows in a question as Kyro passed her. Kyro nodded – he'd been somewhat frustrated as of late, wanting to head to the dungeons to beat the man there. Zelda had instead promised him that he'd get this chance instead, partly to hammer the lesson home to the nobles that while she was young, she had the same will of iron her father had possessed. The majority of the nobles filed out as the servants cleaned up the blood, and the guards hauled away the corpse. Zelda rose and went to the council chamber, followed by Kyro and the individual council members, two from each province, as well as two representatives of the Zora and Goron races.

The rest of the day passed by slowly – it turned out that Late King Hyran had been giving her the cheerier documents to work on, not letting her know that Hyrule was really in a tough spot. The attitudes of the Hylian council members didn't help either, considering themselves above the Zora and Gorons because they were, as they said, _purebred Hylian nobles_, rather than _dirty creatures made from rock and fish._ Kyro sighed mentally, he was starting to suspect that being Zelda's guard meant safeguarding her sanity as well as her life.

()()()()

As the council finally broke for the day, Zelda waited a moment before standing and stretching so that the others wouldn't realize how tired she'd been. She made a move to pick up the massive pile of scrolls in front of her, then stopped as she realized they'd all been efficiently moved into a bag that was now held in one hand by Kyro.

"If her majesty would care to lead the way, I can carry these." Kyro said, his tone light.

Zelda responded with an unroyal poking out of the tongue, and then sighed, "Thanks for the help Ky. I hadn't known that there was so much wrong with the country. I guess that dad didn't tell me everything after all."

Kyro considered a moment as they exited the chamber and made their way towards their rooms, "What was it that he used to tell you? _For every truth a diplomat reveals, they're concealing at least three more_? Something along those lines."

Zelda nodded, "He really did mean every diplomat, didn't he?"

Kyro thought another moment, "Well, Guran's a diplomat, sort of. And so are the rest of the Elders. They've never kept anything from you."

Zelda sighed, "There's a difference between Sheikah Elders who are sworn to serve me, and Hylian politicians who've made oaths of fealty, but that's all."

Kyro nodded as they reached Zelda's room. As she moved through one of the doors into her bedroom, he set the massive bag onto her desk, taking the scrolls out and stacking them neatly into a pyramid, glancing at each one to determine where it should go. The most important matters went on top – education, training for the guards, bandits, etc – while the lesser matters went to the bottom of the pile, and personal complaints from the council members about each other went on the very bottom, though Kyro was tempted to throw them straight into a fire.

He took a seat next to the fire and played around with his panpipes for a while, waiting for Zelda to finish whatever it was she was doing so she could come back. He could hear her moving around, and he knew that she would excuse him before going to bed, so he guessed that she was doing some prayers to the goddesses to not screw up.

As the door between her bedroom and study opened, Kyro lowered his instrument and stood respectfully. Zelda gestured for him to relax as she took a seat at her desk, selecting the top scroll with a slight groan at the immense pile she had to get through that night.

A few scrolls down the line, Zelda realized that she hadn't seen anything that she – or Kyro – would consider to be unimportant. The scrolls _were _supposed to be for her eyes and those of the council only, but she was well aware that the Sheikah were fully aware of everything going on in the castle. She sighed and put her name and seal down on the most recent one before setting it to the side. She picked up the cork to her inkwell in one hand and considered for a moment, then threw it at Kyro.

Kyro caught the cork without looking up from where he was reading a dispatch from one of the outer settlements about a gang of Bulbins attacking travelers on the road and set it down on the table next to him. "Yes Princess?" He asked, smiling to himself.

"Out of sheer curiosity, did you happen to read any of these Kyro? Any of the scrolls that were supposed to be read by nobody but myself and members of the council?"

Kyro looked up innocently, "Well, technically, as the only Sheikah present in the council chamber, I represent the Sheikah on the Council. But yes, I see your point, and yes, I did read over each one. The bottom row is complaints by the nobles about each other's behavior."

Zelda sighed, and noticed that he had the fire crackling when it wasn't even cold out, "I assume that you have the fire ready for when I run into them?"

Kyro nodded, back to reading another dispatch, "Yep, got it in one princess – sorry, your majesty. Man, that feels weird" He set the scroll he was looking at into a pile on his right and picked up the next one, standing up and punching the air when he saw what it said.

Zelda raised an eyebrow at him, he was rarely this . . . exuberant, over anything. He saw her looking and recovered, speaking about what was on the scroll he was reading as if they were talking about the days weather.

"The Elders have decided to let me take the Sheikah Study before things get too busy to do it when I'm seventeen."

Zelda's other eyebrow went up, his stack of scrolls was significantly smaller than hers, even when she counted the ones he'd already read – which was all but one. He glanced up and chuckled, "Did you really think that every single scroll to cross your father's desk was read and decided on by your father? Byril must have done more paperwork than Guran has to deal with, and she does a lot of writing. We aren't just bodyguards Zelda, the Sheikah have helped out the ruling member of your family since the days before the Triforce was originally split. Although if you'd rather, I could leave it all to you."

Zelda paled at the thought, and shook her head quickly, she had a feeling that the paperwork was only going to get bigger and bigger.

()()()()

The next day, Kyro woke to Byril's eyes in his. He gave a yell of surprise and jerked back as well as he could while he was wrapped up in his bed sheets.

"Morning bro. Ready for the study?"

Kyro closed his eyes, his hand was sore from perfecting Zelda's signature last night. He hadn't actually signed anything for her, but he'd had to practically carry her to her bed by the time she was finished. He cracked his green eye open, "Did you have to do as much paperwork as she had last night on a regular basis?"

Byril laughed, "Pretty much every other night. I hope you have her signature down, you're going to need it. I have to say, you're a lucky Sheikahn, you know Zelda better than I knew Hyran, since you've known her so long. You won't have to worry about her having a different point of view on any of the laws that cross her desk."

Kyro's eyes snapped open, "Did that ever actually happen to you?"

Byril thought a moment, "Not that I can recall, no. Oh, wait, there was one time, a public education law that I saw differently than the King did. That was the only time though. Anyway, enough talk, you've gotta get up and dressed for your test," Byril straightened up and walked to the door, "None of the Masters will go easy on you, so don't eat too much, or you'll regret it."

Kyro threw a pillow after him, "When have I ever eaten too much?"

Byril's laugh came through the door, "Try about every day!"

**End of Chapter Four**

**So there's Chapter Four! The Sheikah Study will be first thing next chapter, so I hope you liked the fight at the beginning of this Chapter!**

**Leave a review or I'll sic Kanai and Tola on you, and not so they can play music for you.**

**The Funeral song was based on the song **_**Loch Lomond, **_**with a few changes. Tell me if you liked it or not please!**

**Sheikahn: A Sheikah who's sworn an oath of total fealty to the High King/Queen of Hyrule.**

**Fairytail88: Again, thank you for reviewing! I appreciate you appreciating the 'dirge of death' (AKA Loch Lomond), and thanks for letting me know about the capitalization error, which is now fixed.**

**I hope you all enjoy Triforce of Skill: Study Hard!**


	5. Study Hard

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Five

Study Hard

Kyro stood in the center of the Arena waiting for the Masters to arrive. The hard packed dirt floor providing a solid base for the battle, but also not as hard as stone so that falling on it wouldn't break bones. The rules for the Sheikah Study were different from normal ceremonial combat, where getting knocked over meant you were out. In the study, the ring in the center of the arena – a little more than twenty feet in diameter – was raised, and the pupil had to knock the masters out, without getting knocked out themselves.

This was why most people didn't try to join the Shadowstars.

The pupil was unable to move from the center until the first master came up onto the ring – although it was more of a peninsula, there was a strip connecting it to the wall underneath the viewing balcony – and then the fight really started.

Kyro knelt as the Elders entered, followed by the Clan masters in ascending rank. Shadowmoon Master Lareng, Shadowheart Master Korreiak, Shadowblade Master Harlong, Shadowstriker Master Toran, and Shadowcloud Master Byril. Kyro blinked in confusion, Shadowstar Master Tyarn wasn't there. His thoughts were settled when the woman stepped through the door – the only woman to lead a clan in nearly six hundred years, a testament to her skills.

The six masters stepped up next to Elder Guran in unison, and she spoke, clearly yet softly, nobody else was there but Kyro, the six masters, and the six Elders.

"Kyro, son of Kurai, you have reached an age where you are considered to be a man in the eyes of the Sheikah. Now you must decide, into which clan will you enter?" Guran's voice carried, even though it was little more than a whisper, "The time of the Study has come, it is time to choose."

Kyro rose and spoke clearly, "I choose to challenge Shadowstar Master Tyarn.

Guran nodded, "Tyarn, do you accept the challenge?" The last time a challenge had been turned down, it had been Tyarn doing the challenging. The previous Shadowstar master had refused, and if rumor was to be believed, she took down the other five masters before returning to the center of the ring and politely asking if he would reconsider her challenge.

Tyarn nodded, "I accept the challenge of Kyro, son of Kurai, son of – oh for the love of the goddesses, can we get this over with?"

Kyro was wearing his mask, but he suppressed his smile all the same. He'd heard that the Shadowstar Master was not the most patient of people, and did not appreciate ceremony the way most Sheikah did.

Kyro liked her already.

Elder Guran nodded, and the Elders raised their staffs as the Masters placed one foot on the railing. When the staffs came down, the six of them leapt to the arena floor – twenty feet below – and rushed at Kyro.

Kyro dropped into a ready position – he was not expecting this to be an easy fight in any way, but he was determined not to lose. Then he noticed something . . . odd.

Tyarn was standing precisely where she'd landed, instead of rushing at him like the others. She returned his gaze for a moment, then took a few steps back and leaned against the wall before gesturing with a hand for him to prove himself worthy of fighting her.

Kyro focused on the other five, if Tyarn wanted to fight him solo that was fine by him. He had enough on his plate already.

The five masters leapt up onto the ring and Kyro ran towards them. His plan was to go after the lower masters first and work his way up.

That plan didn't survive contact with his opponents.

Kyro was surrounded quickly and was constantly turning and weaving to keep up with his opponents. He realized now that his fight with Byril and the other three yesterday had been nothing more than a test, to see how he would fight against them. He focused on Byril, avoiding the attacks from the others . . . somehow. He threw two quick punches at his brother, then kicked his legs out from under him, leaping off towards Toran before Byril could regain his feet. He repeated similar tactics with the other masters, testing them to see who stayed down longest. None of them stayed down for more than five seconds, and the slowest to regain their feet was Lareng – so no surprise there.

Kyro was backed up until his heels were almost touching the outer edge, where he stayed, determined not to give even a centimeter, but being overwhelmed by the five masters. He could see now that yesterday, they'd been going easy on him, and that this was a whole new group.

Kyro blocked and ducked for as long as he could, how had Byril been able to take on the masters for his test? Oh right, they'd gotten a lot better since the purge, and Byril was one of them now. Kyro was forced back, and his foot went off. He looked back and down involuntarily, toppling over and off as he did.

Byril bent over and gasped for breath, as did the other masters. Truth be told, none of them had succeeded their first time either. They went to the center of the ring and started to bow to Guran when they saw Master Tyarn doubled over laughing. Byril frowned at her, Kyro had done a lot better than deserving to be laughed at.

He realized the truth a moment or two later, Tyarn wasn't laughing at Kyro.

She was laughing at them.

He was just turning as Kyro flipped back up over the edge from where he'd been hanging, waiting for them to turn their backs. Masters Toran, Harlong, and Korreiak were on their backs outside the ring before they even knew what hit them, and Lareng didn't take long to follow them. Byril suddenly felt very alone on the Study Ring, with Kyro closing in on him.

Byril set his feet firmly and brought his hands up defensively. A moment later, he was flat on his stomach outside of the ring, replaying what had happened in his mind as he sat up. Kyro had come up to him, faked a punch, pulled back away from Byril's block and counter, grabbed Byril's counter in his right hand, pivoted, flipped Byril over his shoulder, and shoved him off with his left hand. Byril shook his head, he should have expected Kyro to come up with such a sneaky plan, but Kyro had seemed to be putting so much effort forth before falling off that he'd been caught completely off guard, which was deserving of a trophy in of itself.

He joined the other masters on the stairs to the balcony as Tyarn leisurely walked down the thin pathway towards the ring, Kyro moving to the center to make things even.

Kyro breathed deeply in and out as Tyarn advanced towards him, he was exuberant – and still coming to terms – with the way his plan B had worked. As Tyarn entered the ring, they bowed to each other, and assumed their stances. Kyro looked his last opponent over, searching for any weakness he could exploit. He didn't find any, he hadn't expected to.

"Very good trick there, letting them knock you off to let their guards down. I did something much the same against Master Teyhar when I fought him, to his considerable dismay." Tyarn laughed, "Too bad you needed to though, I was looking forward to crossing fists with the bearer of the Triforce of Skill, the boy who hadn't lost a fight since he earned his mask."

Kyro grinned behind his mask, "Yeah, I was hoping to not have to do that with them, but I was also expecting you to be joining the fight with them. Not sure it would have worked if you had."

Tyarn's eyes smiled, "Oh believe me, it wouldn't have."

Kyro shrugged, "Well, it worked against everyone else at the same time, didn't it? It's not as if—"

He lunged forward in midsentence, not leaving any space between his last words and leaping at Master Tyarn. If she was caught off guard, she didn't show it, and recovered quickly. She ducked under his first blow, sidestepped his second, and grabbed his leg when he brought it around in a kick. He yanked it back and began defending himself as she went on her own offensive. Her fists and feet came seemingly at random, often coming two or three at a time. Kyro was slowly but steadily forced backwards until the two of them were fighting over the dead center of the ring. They both knew that the other was just playing around, and they both kicked into full drive (for Tyarn) at almost the same moment.

Even for the experienced Sheikah in the balcony, it was tough to keep up with the fight. They all could tell that Tyarn was giving it her all, and that Kyro was definitely having a hard time keeping up, but Byril was seeing something that the others weren't. What he noticed was something that only someone who had worked with Kyro for years would note as important. While many Sheikah thought that the Triforce of Skill was passive, constantly giving Kyro a boost in his skills, Byril had trained the boy for six and a half years, the experience of which let him know when Kyro was really giving it everything.

What he could see was that the Triforce on the back of Kyro's hand wasn't glowing. Kyro wasn't using it at the moment. He probably hadn't been using it in the premier fight either, but Byril had been more focused on knocking him backwards than checking the back of his right hand to see if there was something shining on it.

As the fight progressed, Kyro could feel beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, down his neck, and just about everywhere he had pores to sweat with. Tyarn wasn't any drier, in fact, they were both practically soaked. They were also starting to tire, and Kyro knew that if he didn't finish up soon, then he would be too exhausted to focus the Triforce and go to his full potential. He backed off for a moment, throwing Tyarn off balance, and focused before the woman could get to him. The mark on his hand flashed, and things slowed down for him, like they had at the banquet, the night King Hyran had been killed.

He dodged Tyarn's incoming fist, ducked under her leg as she kicked at him, and knocked her other hand aside as it knifed towards him. He slipped in past her guard and hammered two short strikes into her stomach, backing off and spinning around her before she could recover. Closing in on her back, he hit her twice in the spine, landed a quick blow on each of her kidney's, and kicked her in the small of her back.

She didn't go flying, but she did lose her balance, which was still good. Kyro stepped to her side and rammed her shoulder with an open palm. She tipped forwards, and Kyro came around to her front to hit her in the chest, knocking her over backwards. She recovered quickly, and came back at him. He avoided her attacks and went in for one of his own, a punch to the stomach, followed by a sweeping kick to her legs. As she went down, Kyro did the same thing to her as he'd done to Toran yesterday, grabbing an ankle and spinning, throwing her out of the ring.

As he let his focus on the Triforce slip away, he became aware of how close he'd come to losing control over it and possibly losing the match. He staggered over to where Tyarn had gone off, just to make sure she hadn't hung on. She was making her way slowly to her feet on the ground down below, and he nodded in satisfaction.

As he made his way to the center of the ring, the stage lowered, and he sank down to the floor of the arena, making a bow as he did. Tyarn was at the steps by the time the Ring settled in place, and he moved slowly after her.

Ascending the steps, he became aware of the smell of something burning, and grimaced. The downside to the study was possibly getting your butt handed to you, and getting stuck in the forehead with a piece of heated metal. The branding was painful, but no more so than being beaten down in front of the Elders. He reached the balcony, where the group was waiting for him. He began to kneel as Tyarn pulled the Shadowstar brand from the brazier, and advanced towards him.

He was halfway down when the Triforce began to glow, not bringing him around to full power, but as a warning. He shot to his feet, "Damn it all, not _now!_" He raced out the door and towards the living quarters of the castle, heedless of the servants in the corridors, yelling at the guards near the entryway to close the gates _right now_ before he blew past them and further into the castle.

He raced halfway up the stairs before coming to the passage that would lead him to Zelda's study. Opening it and moving inside, he didn't wait for his eyes to adjust, he simply ran down it, letting his instinct guide him through.

Zelda did not look up as the door to her study opened, she was tired from the council meeting today – it appeared that when she did not have a deadly fighter behind her, Hylian nobles were far more belligerent.

"Well done Ky. Shadowstars, right?"

"Who's Ky?" A gravelly voice asked.

Zelda looked up with a gasp at the door, her eyes going wide at the sight of an unkempt man holding a very sharp knife. She put steel into her voice – and her hand – as she spoke with authority, "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

The man laughed darkly, "I got in here the same way you did, through the door. As to who I am . . . I have a lot of names. You can call me Thryyvn."

Zelda's eyes narrowed, and she slipped her dagger back into place on the underside of her desk. She'd heard the name, a master bounty hunter, who was normally hired to bring the targets before the person who wanted them dead. She spoke slowly, trying to buy time for Kyro, who she was hoping was coming through the castle to get to her. "I assume you're here to take me somewhere? Who hired you to kidnap me?"

Thryyvn laughed loudly this time, "Kidnap? That's a harsh word to use. I prefer 'relocate'. As to who hired me, that doesn't matter, you're coming with me either way."

As he crossed the room to her desk, she stood and backed away from it slowly. She had no intention of aggravating the man who was currently in power. As he grabbed her by the arm and tied her hands behind her back though, she did jerk away slightly, unaccustomed to people being so casual around her. As he led her out of the palace, pressing his knife against her throat to ward off guards and Sheikah who tried to stop him, she wondered where Kyro was.

"Open the gate boys, I tend to get twitchy when I'm outnumbered." Thryyvn pressed his knife slightly harder against her jugular until the doors and gate beyond them were open. They were nearly halfway to the fountain when Zelda finally heard Kyro's voice, to her considerable relief.

"You can take that knife away from her throat now, you aren't leaving the castle with her. Alive or otherwise."

Thryyvn whirled around, tightening his grip on the knife as he took in the sight of the single Sheikah boy who'd appeared a few yards behind him. He chuckled, "And how do you plan to stop me without your queen losing her head?" He tapped Zelda's throat with the edge of his blade for emphasis. "I don't care how good you are Sheikah, you can't get to me faster than I can cut her open."

Kyro nodded, "You're right, I can't." He slowly pulled a large bag out of his belt, "But perhaps I can get you to change your mind about who you point that knife at, hmm?"

Thryyvn grinned, "Now you're getting somewhere." He took his left hand off of the rope binding Zelda's wrists and held it out for the bag. Kyro tossed it to him, the clink of coins unmistakable within it. As the bag landed in Thryyvn's palm, the bounty hunter shifted so he could open it and peered inside. His eyes narrowed, and he frowned, "What are you playing at boy? The only thing in here is a few pieces of silver and a lump of wood!" Thryyvn moved so that Zelda couldn't get away from him, but removed the knife from her neck to pull the 'piece of wood' out.

He returned to his former position, brandishing it at Kyro, "Nice try, but you can't trick me with—" Zelda squeezed her eyes shut as she recognized what the bounty hunter held, just before it exploded with a bang and a bright flash of light. Thryyvn cursed and dropped his knife to rub at his eyes as Zelda twisted herself free of his grip. She ran over to Kyro, who cut through her bonds with a sharp knife as Thryyvn's eyes recovered from the explosion of the Deku Nut. Kyro walked casually over to the man, kicking the knife away before his ears stopped ringing, and brought the hilt of his knife down behind one of his ears. Thryyvn hit the ground like a sack of potatoes and the guards came up to escort him to the dungeons.

Kyro returned to the arena, after sending a trio of Sheikah to escort Zelda back to her rooms. He stepped back onto the balcony, where the Elders and Masters were waiting for him, the iron rod holding the mark of the Shadowstars waiting in the flickering flames of the brazier. He knelt to Tyarn, addressing the entire congregation, "My apologies, a matter I needed to attend to was brought to my attention."

Guran held up a hand, "We know Kyro, kind of hard to miss the miniature sun on the back of your hand. I assume that the matter is resolved and we can return to where we left off?" She turned to Tyarn, "The stage is yours, Master Tyarn."

Tyarn nodded, and pulled the brand out of the flames. She stood over Kyro, who looked up at her and lifted the top of his mask slightly. Kyro braced himself and clenched his jaw as the burning metal touched the skin between his brows, determined not to cry out.

It was over in a moment, and Tyarn bid him to stand. She set the tip of the brand down on the floor and clapped him on the shoulder, "Well done Kyro. You can go and wash up now, I doubt Zelda will appreciate you making her study smell of exercise  
for the next week. I'd say report to me at sunup tomorrow morning, but you have a different master than me."

Kyro nodded and bowed, turning on his heel and making for the washrooms.

After his – long – bath, he made his way up to the tower that held Zelda's study, the upper half of his mask raised a few inches to show the starry mark on his brow.. He was joined on the way by Tola and Kanai, neither of whom had been marked yet. Tola clapped him on the back as Kanai looked at his brow, or more accurately, at the mark of the Shadowstars – a four pointed star, each of the points touching the circle surrounding it. She nodded before speaking as they continued down the hall together. "Well done Kyro. It's a shame we won't be seeing much of you now." Her voice was somber, Shadowstars didn't look down on other Sheikah, but they were more closely knit to each other than the other clans.

Kyro shook his head, "Nah, you guys aren't getting rid of me that easy. My duties aren't changing just because I'm in a clan now." As they looked at him in confusion, he laughed, "I'm the Sheikahn, remember? I don't follow orders from any of the masters, just the princess." His voice lost its humor, "Although my spare time _is _going to get pretty rare now. Not to mention I still have to do the pilgrimage."

The pilgrimage was a sacred tradition, one undertaken by the Sheikah who were considered to lead their clan one day. The day following your marking, you went to one of the three sacred shrines of the Sheikah, the forest temple, in Faron woods, the lakebed temple (Which you needed the assistance of a Zora to reach), in lake Hylia, or the Arbiter's grounds in the Gerudo Desert. The clan you entered determined the location you went to. If you entered the Shadowmoons, Shadowhearts, or Shadowblades, you were sent to the forest temple. Shadowstrikers and Shadowclouds went to the Lakebed temple, and the Shadowstars were sent to the Arbiters grounds. Wherever you went, there was an item you had to collect at the temple that you couldn't find anywhere else in Hyrule. In the Forest, you had to bring back a single flower found only in the final room. For the lakebed, there was a spring of clear water, with the same properties as the spirit springs found around Hyrule. The Shadowstars had the most difficult task, bringing back a pouch of the darksand in the basin held by the statue of the goddess, at the very peak of the ancient prison.

Whichever Temple you traveled to, it was difficult, dangerous, and often deadly. The Sheikah who made it back were fully initiated into the clans, and were placed at the council of the Clan Master. The Sheikah who didn't return . . . sometimes their bodies were found by the next one to go there.

Tola was surprised, "Wait, I thought the Sheikahn couldn't do the pilgrimage. Don't you have to stay and protect the queen?"

Kyro glanced at him, "Byril was Sheikahn to King Hyran, and he's the leader of the Shadowclouds. Byril will be protecting Zelda while I'm gone."

Kanai looked at him, "I guess that makes sense." She laughed, "Next you'll be telling us you're going to the Cave of Ordeals to become an elder!"

Kyro shook his head, "No way. I plan on staying a fighter until the day I die. Besides, could you imagine me sitting down in that room and deciding on the future of the Sheikah? I've seen a close relation to it in the Hylian Council, and I would have to say thanks but no thanks."

Tola knocked on Kyro's forehead, which was uncovered by Kyro's mask now that he was marked, "Until the day you die? You plan on fighting until you're ninety?"

Kyro chuckled, and pushed Tola's hand away before grabbing the younger teen in a headlock. "Yep, and I'll give you a solid thrashing every day too."

The three of them laughed, and walked to the end of the hall in a friendly silence. As Kyro turned to the stairs leading to Zelda's study, he waved goodbye and watched them walk away, almost – but not quite – brushing shoulders. He let out a loud whistle and sprinted up the stairs laughing as they lurched away from each other and ran back towards him. He slipped into Zelda's study before they reached him and shut the door.

Zelda looked up at him as he leaned against the door, bracing it against the loud knocks the other two were pounding on it, "Did you start a war in the time it took to walk over here from the arena?"

The two of them could hear Tola and Kanai yelling on the other side of the door, telling Kyro to "_come out and face us you coward!"_ Zelda smiled, and looked back down, "You should lock that if you're planning on getting anything done." She gestured towards a stack of papers on the table next to his usual chair, "I took the liberty of giving you the items I disliked the most, I figured you would appreciate that."

Kyro slid the massive bar across the door, a solid _thunk_ telling Kanai and Tola that there was no getting in. He moved across the room and started leafing through the scrolls she'd left for him. He groaned, "Council give you trouble today?"

Zelda nodded, "Apparently, the only reason they act reasonable is because you're behind me with a hand on your knife. They were practically impossible today. Chairwoman Tyrell is the worst though, and with all of the Hylians on her side, she has enough power to veto my decisions. It's as if they're _happy _with the state of the Kingdom."  
Kyro nodded, "That's because they _are_ happy with it, the way things are now, they can fill their wallets without having to empty them for the 'common rabble'. Don't worry, Byril will be enough to make them work together while I'm gone, he has experience as well, he knows how to pull the rug out from under them. I suggest you pay attention to him while he's there."

Zelda nodded, but then the full impact of what Kyro had said hit her, "Wait, what do you mean, while you're away? Where are you going?"

Kyro didn't look at her, "Master Tyarn wants me to go on the pilgrimage; I'll be in the desert for a couple of weeks, no more. Hopefully."

Zelda pursed her lips, "So Byril will be covering for you while you're away?"

Kyro nodded, signing and stamping a paper before setting it to the side, "Yes, and he'll be co-representing the Sheikah on the council once I'm back. Elder Guran should start arriving at the meetings in a day or two."

Zelda frowned, "Why don't you represent your people with Byril? You have the authority now, surely Elder Guran doesn't need to show as well."

Kyro shook his head, "I have the rank yeah, but the problem is . . ."

The problem hit Zelda like a ton of bricks, "The problem is that you're sworn to serve me in every way, no matter what. In that respect, you can't make a vote on the council without it negating the vote entirely. The other side would immediately get their way."

"Yeah. And if the law were something to do with the Sheikah that would be a problem." Kyro said, "You know that the council wants us out of the palace, if they get their way, there's no way for us to be on hand when you need us. And there's no way for us to spy on the council. Don't look so surprised, you've guessed that at least."

Zelda nodded and yawned, she'd barely noticed the time, but it had been hours since Thryyvn had tried to kidnap her, and that had happened in the early evening. Kyro noticed her fatigue, "You can get some sleep, I'll finish up here."

Zelda wearily shook her head, "I'm queen, I need to actually do this, if the council finds out you AAGH!"

The last part was drawn from her as Kyro bodily pulled her out of her hard desk chair and set her down in one of the plush ones next to the fire. He set a hand on her shoulder and pushed her down as she tried to rise, keeping her there until she stopped struggling. When she did, he fetched her a blanket while she curled up on the soft cloth of the chair, listening to the crackle of the fire and the _tap-tap-tap _of the rain on the window. She mumbled a thank you as she felt a light blanket settle around her, and let her eyes shut as Kyro sat at her desk.

Kyro sat down and picked up the scroll lying open on Zelda's desk as the girl fell asleep. She'd only been queen for a day and she was already worn out by it. He picked up her quill and signed the law, stamping it to make it 'official'. There was a knock at the door, and he moved to look through the small peephole in it to see Byril at the other side. He pulled the bar back and let his brother in, lifting a finger to his mask and jerking his head towards the sleeping queen. Byril nodded and moved to the chair opposite her, picking up Kyro's work while Kyro continued doing Zelda's.

After a few hours, Byril had finished the stack of scrolls left for Kyro and made his way quietly out, while Kyro was down to the last quarter of "Zelda's" stack. As the young queen stirred in her chair, Kyro glanced up at her from where he was stamping another scroll. About a third of the ones he'd seen were good ideas – probably proposed by the Zora or Goron representatives – a good half were bad ones that went to the discard pile, and the rest were more complaints between nobles that had fed the fire. Zelda stretched and yawned, looking sleepily over her shoulder to where Kyro was standing up with a scroll in his hand. She watched as he moved over to the fire, catching a glance of the first line _I do not approve of the way the sub-humans are allowed on the council _before he tossed it on, sending sparks flying up the chimney.

Zelda stood as he turned from the hearth, after jabbing the burning parchment with the poker, stoking the flame. The waking queen rubbed her eyes and staggered a bit as blood rushed to her head, regaining her balance before she got to the point where she needed to be caught, and then walked drowsily over to her desk, where half a dozen scrolls waited for her seal, or to be discarded. She tossed the first five to Kyro – they were similar to the one he'd just burnt – before actually getting through the first line of the last one. She finished it quickly, authorizing the baron of the Eldin province to borrow a platoon of guards to chase down a group of bandits terrorizing his people.

She stood and accepted Kyro's hand – her sleep had been helpful, but she was still tired – to help her down to her rooms. As they descended the stairs, Zelda became aware of how truly quiet it was in the castle.

She spoke softly, "Kyro, what time is it?"

The Sheikahn looked at her, before responding just as quietly, "I'd say about fifteen minutes before midnight. Why?"

Zelda looked around, "I've never noticed the palace so . . . quiet. There have always been people scurrying around, cleaning up or making deliveries. It's so . . . Peaceful."

Kyro smiled behind his mask, "Yeah, you'll notice that the guards are all wide awake and at their posts though. They're a bit on edge since this afternoon."

Zelda nodded and yawned again as they entered the corridor to her room. "I feel a bit on edge as well. I can't believe I got any sleep in that chair. Between my nap and Thryyvn, I doubt I'll get back to sleep . . ."

Kyro took the unspoken question and nodded, stepping away as she touched her door handle, "I'll go get my harp if you'd like."

Zelda nodded, "Thank you Kyro, for everything."

End of Chapter Five

**Hee hee hee, I hope you all like it! Leave a review and you won't find Tyarn behind you with a knife.**

**What oh what will happen on Kyro's Pilgrimage? Will he make it through unscathed? Or will the desert temple swallow him up? Find out in the next episode of Triforce of Skill: The Sacred Trials.**


	6. Sacred Trials

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Six

Sacred Trials

Kyro threw a saddle over the back his horse and tightened the straps as he prepared to depart. Before he could leap up and onto the horse's back however, Byril came out to double-check _everything. _Kyro leaned against Jekahn, the horse that King Hyran had gotten for him on his ninth birthday – mainly because Zelda had gotten one as well, and was somewhat pouty when her friend couldn't go riding with her.

"Byril, I know you're worried, but I'll be fine, really. I beat Tyarn, didn't I?"

Byril snorted, "I think she was going easy on you, but yeah, you did. That doesn't mean that I'm gonna stop worrying about you though. Whenever you leave my sight, that hot head of yours gets you in trouble."

Kyro sighed, "Man sometimes you're worse than—"

"Than me?" Byril's wife Kastay walked into the stables, followed by Kurai, who was holding Mary. She came over to where Kyro and Byril were arguing, "Sometimes the two of you are more like monkeys than Sheikah. I sometimes wonder how you got me to marry you Byril."

The Sheikah was unfazed, "I believe I asked."

Kastay smiled, "I should have guessed you'd say that. Sometimes I wonder why I said yes."

Kyro looked away and Kurai covered Mary's eyes. "Jeez, get a room will you!"

Byril broke away from his wife, "Like you and Zelda?" He was rewarded by his younger brother's face rapidly turning red. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell her. Just get back here as soon as possible."

Kyro nodded and led Jekahn out of the stables, his chain clinking against the saddle as he swung up. He reached down and accepted a waterskin from Kurai as the boy handed it up, then turned and kicked Jekahn into a trot. Once he was outside of the city walls, he leaned low over his mount and galloped westwards, along the hard packed dirt roads towards Lake Hylia and the Gerudo Desert.

Only half an hour later, he reigned in on the banks of Lake Hylia, debating where to tether Jekahn. He decided to leave him on a long tether near the Spirit's spring, there was plenty of grass there, it was easy to tie him off on the massive pillars, and he could drink water from the lake. As he finished tying the knot, he was approached by a young Zora diver.

"Hello there Sheikah. Are you on the Pilgrimage to the Lakebed Temple?" The Zora asked, "I am Turno, I'm stationed here to assist any Sheikah who need to go there."

Kyro turned to the young Zora, "Not to the lakebed, I'm on Pilgrimage to the Desert Temple. Thank you for the offer though."

Turno nodded, "Very well Sheikah." He noticed the small waterskin hanging on Kyro's belt, "Surely that is not all of the water you plan to take? The desert is wide, and you will need plenty of fluid to combat the heat."

Kyro looked down at it, "Yeah, I guess I could use a little more." He went around Jekahn and unhooked the big one hanging from the saddle. Swinging it around and settling it across his back as if it were a quiver, he showed it to Turno, "Would this be big enough?"

Turno blinked, "Umm, well, I see that you are well prepared for your journey. I wish you luck."

Kyro nodded, "Thank you, have a good . . ." He glanced to the sky "evening."

Before he could leave however, Turno tossed him a bottle, full of red liquid that looked like blood. "Here, Queen Rutela told me to give some of that to any Sheikah I met on pilgrimage. It's Red Chu Jelly, it will heal any wounds you receive in battle."

Kyro nodded in thanks, and ran around the great lake between him and the cliffs leading to the desert. When he arrived at the stone goliaths, he looked around until he found the small star that marked the way up. Pushing in on it, he was rewarded by a section of the cliff face swinging out to reveal a spiraling staircase leading up. And up, and up.

Kyro finally reached the top of the stairs and pulled down on a trapdoor leading back outside. He winced as late afternoon light streamed in from the heavens, shielding his eyes from both it and the shower of sand that came through the now open space. Once the sand stopped falling, he cautiously stepped onto it and made his way up. Twice he stopped because he thought he'd heard something within it, and twice he kept going.

Once he was out and on the desert, he shaded his eyes and turned to find the massive structure that was his target. He had turned three-quarters of a circle before he spotted the colossus structure a good walk away. _Or, _he thought, seeing a small camp of Bulbins under a nearby ledge, _A few minutes of hard riding. There are only four of them, I've got six throwing knives, two daggers, and a chain. I can take them. _He approached slowly, holding out his hands to show that he was 'unarmed'. Apparently, the Bulbins decided that they didn't care if he had any weapons or not, and they lifted their cudgels and charged at him.

All four of them were dead before they'd covered half the distance, knives seeming to appear in various fatal points on their bodies. Kyro walked over and collected his weapons, cleaning the blue blood from the blades on the tattered clothing of the troll-like creatures.

As he approached the Bullbos, they were seemingly indifferent to his presence, but trotting off as he clapped his heels to one's side. The beast was difficult to control, especially once he figured out how to make them gallop – which he only did once – but it was definitely quick, and he was at the ancient temple's entrance before sundown, wiping his knives off on his usual rag as he ascended the steps. As he entered the old prison, the door slammed shut behind him, the torches along the walls flickering into life as a gust of wind came from somewhere down the corridor.

"Hmm, door slams shut, torches spontaneously light themselves, and there's something blowing wind at me down the corridor. Something here just screams trap." Kyro muttered to himself as he flicked his chain out in one hand and pulled out the dagger King Hyran had given him with his other. He was relaxed at the moment however, there was no indication from his personal lantern that there was anything was wishing him dead nearby.

"Oh no wait, there it is. Great, now there _is _something nearby that wants to eat me." Kyro held his weapons carefully, ready to lash out at the slightest movement. As the corridor opened up into a room full of sand and not much else, he noted several other platforms around the room, as well as the sand shifting in several places, indicating that there was probably a sand worm just beneath the surface.

As he stepped onto the sand, stepping lightly and thanking the goddesses that he wasn't weighed down by armor, one of the worms came out at him. His chain moved and wrapped around the creature, tightening and slamming the thing against the wall, headfirst. There was a purple stain where it had been as the worm fell back into the sand, not moving.

"Well, that was . . . gross. I wonder how many more of them there are in this place?" Kyro muttered, whipping his chain at another one as it tried it's luck, which turned out to be not very good either.

As Kyro stepped up onto the last little island, he took a small drink of his water, making a face as the leathery tasting liquid hit his mouth. He stepped into the second corridor, turning and throwing a Deku Nut down the throat of another worm as it leapt at him from the sand behind him. He jumped back as it exploded, leaving a foul smell and blood and guts all over the small stone landing. He shook his head, hoping the sand would cover it before he got back.

Kyro calmly swept his chain out in a wide arc, decapitating the horde of miniature skeletons that had been following him since he'd reached the third chamber. The little beasts had risen in a square made by four strange torches, glowing with an evil blue light on their pillars. He caught the chain as it came back around towards him, wrapping it so that he could flick it out easily if he needed it, but so that it wouldn't drag on the ground as he moved. He jerked to a halt as he heard a clatter of bones behind him, turning and whipping his chain out at waist level to remove the heads of the little bastards who kept on following him.

He paled as he saw what his chain had wrapped around instead.

A skeleton raised a sword the size of his leg and brought it down to split him from head to waist in one fell blow. He dropped his end of the chain and rolled out of the way, whipping out a pair of daggers as he recovered his feet.

The skeleton looked at him blankly for a moment, before looking at his sword and then back at Kyro's daggers. Its mouth moved as if it were laughing for a moment, then the red orbs that were its eyes widened as it heard its arms hit the ground. It looked down at the boy before Kyro moved again and its head joined its arms.

Kyro picked his chain up from the pile of bones his adversary had become, his Triforce dagger reentering its sheath on the front of his left shoulder, and the dagger that had belonged to Kurai disappearing into his belt. As he continued forwards, his chain ever at the ready – it had been used as everything from a weapon to a grapple since he'd entered the temple – the glow on his Triforce faded, letting him relax. Kyro yawned, he'd been in here a long while, and if the Triforce said he was safe, he was safe. He looked around for a ledge or something like that, and finding none, he shrugged and sat against the wall, bringing his knees in and letting his head fall onto his arms as they crossed over his knees.

Kyro's eyes snapped open, his Triforce not glowing, but feeling as if something were approaching him. He stood as a shadow swept down the corridor, not pulling out any weapons. He felt as though the shadow didn't mean him harm.

The shadow was sucked together into a ball in front of him, then blasted apart to reveal a softly glowing ball of gold, tinged with green, where it had been. The ball started to writhe, then took the form of a woman, dressed in robes that put the ones the Hylian Council wore to shame.

The woman spoke softly, but her voice seemed to echo, as if they were speaking in a massive chamber instead of a narrow corridor. _"Kyro, son of Kurai, you will have to pass our trials if you wish to finish your pilgrimage. They will be posed in the form of a question. If you do not answer to our satisfaction, you will not be allowed to proceed. Are you prepared?"_

Kyro's mouth was suddenly dry, and he took a drink of water before answering, "Are you Farore?"

The woman smiled, _"Do you always answer questions with questions? Yes, I am the goddess of courage. You will be meeting my Champion soon, so be ready for him. Try not to hurt him too much, hmm? Now then, are you prepared?"_

Kyro nodded, and the Goddess questioned him, _"What is courage?"_

Kyro blinked in surprise, "What is . . . Courage?" he thought for a moment, "Courage, courage, courage."

Farore giggled like a young girl, _"Yes, courage. Don't rub your hand, looking for an answer from my mother. This must be your answer, and yours alone."_

Kyro looked down and saw that he was in fact, rubbing where the Triforce showed itself, and stopped. Then his answer came to him. "Courage is . . . doing the right thing for someone else, even if you don't know who it is you're helping, and even when you don't know you can do it."

Farore smiled again, _"Well done Kyro, I can't remember the last time someone came up with that thorough of an answer. You can't believe how tiring it is hearing 'courage is when you aren't scared of anything'. It's surprising how many people mistake it for stupidity. Continue your pilgrimage Kyro, the others are waiting."_

Farore faded giggling back into the ball of shadow, which spread and receded down the corridor, back to wherever she'd come from.

Kyro opened his eyes and looked up from where he'd been sleeping. He stood shakily and looked around. "Was that, all a dream? Or did that actually happen?" He looked down to the ground, where he saw a small glint on the sand. He picked it up and swept it off, revealing a small Triforce, with a green triangle in the lower right placing. He could almost hear Farore's giggle as she'd faded back into the shadowy ball and went away, sweeping away from him down the corridor. Kyro shook his head and slipped the triangle into his pack, then reached for his waterskin.

Once he'd finished drinking, he brought out his chain and continued down the corridor towards a faint light at the other end. The corridor seemed to stretch on forever until he reached the end.

And entered a room very much full of traps.

Kyro blinked at the sheer amount of spikes, pits, axes, and other assorted deadly items covering the room between him and a massive door at the other end. Behind yet another pit with a pair of axes swinging over it. Kyro took a deep breath and started forwards, jerking back with a yell as a dart was shot through the air as he stepped on a discolored tile. He recovered, then stepped forward again, making sure to keep an eye out for any more. He reached the first pit quickly, and jumped over, over-calculating and nearly slamming into a spiked pillar just on the other side. He regained his balance and narrowly avoided being speared, making his way slowly through the rotating pillars.

He didn't expect the last one before the second pit to move.

The pillar slid towards him quickly, catching him off guard and slicing through his tunic and deep into the arm below. Kyro gripped the wound and jumped before it took another pass at him, ducking past the ax blades that tried to cut him down as he made for the other door.

When he was past all but the last pit, he triggered another dart trap, this one slamming a sharp piece of metal into his already bad arm. He held it with his uninjured right arm before timing his jump carefully, landing softly on the other side of the pit before – what he hoped was – the final door.

Before opening it, he recalled what Turno had given him, and fumbled at his pouch strings with his right hand before getting it open and pulling out the jar of Red Chu Jelly.

The broken bottle of Red Chu Jelly.

Enraged, Kyro hurled the busted bottle at a jar near the wall setting his hand back on his left arm and sliding to the floor against the wall. He let his eyes close briefly, opening them when he heard a small sound, and felt something like feathers against his forehead.

A small fairy hovered in front of his eyes, tilting one way, then the other, before flying down to his arm, where blood seeped through his fingers. As the fairy butted against his hand, Kyro removed it and let the fairy land on the spike wound, wrapping it in a bandage of shimmering energy before moving down to the dart in his forearm. The small creature butted against it until he braced himself and yanked it out, which was when it descended and repeated the process with his second injury.

He stared as the little creature finished binding his wounds, then made a small clicking sound as if it had snapped it's fingers. As if on a command, the energy sank into his arm, halting the blood flow and mending the skin under his tunic. He stared blankly at it for a moment, then muttered "Thanks" as it flew off through the maze of traps, nimbly avoiding them as if they weren't even there.

Kyro turned and opened the door, revealing a room with a sandpit holding a massive skull. Like in the corridor, a shadow covered the room as he stepped inside and made his way over to the pit, coalescing into a ball before bursting into a golden blue orb. The orb made its way over to where he was standing, then shifted into the form of a second woman, similar enough to Farore to be her sister.

Kyro spoke, "Are you Nayru?"

The goddess nodded, _"Yes, I am the goddess of wisdom. I believe you have already met my latest champion Sheikahn. Are you prepared for my question?"_

Kyro nodded, and the goddess spoke, _"Who is the wisest?"_

Kyro thought a moment, "I'm guessing you mean besides yourself?"

Nayru tilted her head to one side, _"Do you always answer a question with another question? Yes, I'm not counting myself."_

Kyro spoke again, "Apparently, your sister asked me that as well. Uh, the wisest person . . . is the one who steps aside and asks for help when they need it."

Nayru smiled leisurely at him, _"Very good answer. One that I've not heard in a long time. You may pass."_

The door on the far side of the room opened, and Nayru spoke again as she returned to her shadow form and left, _"Be warned Sheikahn, fell forces are stirring, and you will be called to fight them before the end."_

Kyro watched as the shadows receded, then proceeded around the pit of sand. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as though he was being watched by something, maybe one of the evil forces Nayru had spoken of.

Kyro ascended the steps towards the peak of the temple, finally stepping out onto the hard packed sand as the sun fell behind the horizon. He made his way towards the statue of the goddess holding the basin, climbing up along the snake wrapped around her.

When he reached the basin, a third orb of shadow awaited him, bursting into a golden-red radiance and turning into the last goddess. He lowered his arm from his eyes once the radiance faded, revealing Din, the Goddess of power.

_"Hello Sheikahn. You are skilled indeed to have reached me here, and clever to have passed my sister's tests. My Champion stirs in the darkness, unlike my sisters, I did not get to choose him, he chose me. I hope I would have had better taste. You will have to fight him, for Nayru's champion, and alongside the champion of Farore. Are you prepared for my question?"_

Kyro was just starting to nod when she asked it, _"Who is the strongest?"_

Unlike with the other two, Kyro barely needed to think about this question, "The strongest is the person who has the hearts of the people behind them."

Din nodded, _"Very good Sheikahn, you have passed our tests. Take your prize and leave quickly, dark forces will soon threaten this holy ground, forces you will have to face. Take care and protect the champion of Nayru. Farore's Champion will need no such help, in fact, he might well end up saving you eventually."_

Din laughed deeply before fading into her ball and shooting upwards, quickly fading into the night sky.

Kyro shook his head and pulled out the Triforce Symbol. As he'd expected, the second and third triangles were filled, with blue and red representing Nayru and Din. What he hadn't expected however, was for the holy symbol to dissolve in his hand, turning into black sand that fell to the platform he stood on. He knelt and swept it into the pouch he'd been given for it, then tied it to his belt and slipped down the statue.

When he reached the ground, he turned and threw a knife out of reflex to a sound behind him. The blade halted a foot from his hand before returning to his belt where it vanished, not going anywhere near the dark orb it had been headed for. Kyro paled as he realized he'd just attacked a goddess, but his fright quickly melted to confusion as he realized something.

He'd already spoken to the three goddesses, why did one of them wish to speak with him again?

_Unless, _he thought, _could this be . . ._

His thoughts were proven correct as the sphere burst, into soft silvery light this time, not the golden radiance that had emitted from the others. The sphere advanced towards him, taking the form of an older woman, not elderly, but older than the other goddesses for certain.

Kyro knelt as his Triforce pulsed in recognition of the mother of the goddesses as she stopped in front of him.

Her voice echoed in his mind, _Rise my child, we have much to discuss, and little time to do so if you are to return in time. You have to know what you face if you want to stop it._

Kyro rose, not remembering the last time his heart had beaten this fast, outside of a fight. His knees felt somewhat wobbly, and he controlled them with an effort of will.

_To recognize the future, first you must know the past. _Hylia smiled regretfully, _this might be a little overwhelming for you, and you might have a headache for a while, but you'll be fine, I promise._

The goddess took Kyro's right hand in both of hers, resting it in her palms, while her thumbs touched the softly glowing mark of the Triforce. Kyro's vision blacked out, soon to be replaced by visions of another time and place, images rushing through his mind a breathtaking speed.

He saw the goddesses falling down to the world, even as the world shifted and remade itself as Hylia shaped it to fit her children. When the goddesses landed, they made people to represent their virtue, Farore created the Gorons, Nayru crafted the Zora tribes, and Din shaped the Hylian people. Then Kyro was pulled somewhere else, time speeding up as a war raged between the Hylians and the other species, rendering the goddesses powerless except to watch as their children killed each other. Then, as the species were nearing extinction, Hylia stepped in and raised the Hylians up to a city above the clouds, where they could live without waging war on others. Then she started speaking as more images rushed past his mind.

_My daughters brought life to the land, and in doing so, almost destroyed it. I was forced to intervene and relocate the people Din named for me, to a place they eventually named Skyloft. It was hundreds of years before my daughters felt comfortable about letting them back down onto the surface, and so Nayru granted one the ingenuity to craft something that would let them down without injury. What they hadn't realized however, was that a child had been born some years before that, a child whom I had inhabited as an experiment. That Child was the first Zelda, your friends' ancestor. Eventually, she came to the surface, and was beset upon by Ghirahim, an evil sorcerer who sought to awaken Demise, a demon king, born by the strife and hatred created by the Great War. He kidnapped my vessel and tried to use her to awaken Demise and conquer the world, and then destroy it. He was stopped however, by one of Zelda's friends. A young man named link, collected the pieces of the Triforce and used the power granted by them to stop Demise, and save me. They cared greatly for each other, but never came together, something always stopped them. I'm still not sure why I didn't allow it._

Time accelerated hundreds of years, then slowed, _Centuries after Zelda became ruler of the sacred realm, and Link became guardian of her, powerful magi were born into dark groups, who wanted nothing more than to conquer the sacred realm and take its power for themselves. The magi led a powerful assault on it, overpowering its protectors with dark magic they had spent decades perfecting. When it was done, very few Hylians remained alive, Skyloft had been left long ago, and the only inhabitants were the birdlike tribe now known as the oocca. That will not come into importance however, so I will leave that aside. Now, the sacred realm was controlled by the dark magi, who used their magic to try and force the Triforce to bend to them. They did not realize that by doing so, they were trying to control three very different, but yet identical, goddesses. My daughters were . . . unhappy, with the attempts on their freedom, and they banished the magi – as well as all of their followers – into a dimension, perpetually at the time of the banishment. It is now called the spirit world, or the dark world. Neither of these names are incorrect, but neither are they correct. The realm is one of perpetual twilight, and its inhabitants know little more than hate for the light dwellers. The four of us sealed off the sacred realm, and made Hyrule instead, for all of the tribes to live within, with no strife. To safeguard the remaining royals, who had nearly all perished in the assault, we set aside a small group, who would eventually become your people, the Sheikah._

Time sped up again, rushing past a thousand years or more, until, _Millennia later, after the history books had been long lost, a new Zelda was born, and a new Link, both descended from the original pair. Neither bloodline had crossed since Demise's . . . demise. Zelda's father was receiving an oath of loyalty from a Gerudo man by the name of Ganondorf, whom Zelda feared was trying to gain access to the sacred realm, and the Triforce locked within. Link came to her, and they formed an alliance, deciding to stop Ganandorf and beat him to it. Link gathered the keys to the sacred realm, three ancient gems, the master sword which I had forged to serve as a key, and the Ocarina of Time, which Zelda had in her possession. When the keys were gathered at the altar however, the sacred realm _was _opened, but it was neither Link nor Zelda who reached the Triforce. Ganondorf defeated Link just outside the sacred realm, and obtained it, just as he'd desired._

Kyro watched as the evil man entered the realm and touched the Triforce, but then, _Ganondorf did not hold wisdom, courage, and power in balance, causing the Triforce to split. Link received Courage, and Zelda received the Triforce of wisdom. What even the sages did not know however, was that I had long since imbued the Triforce with my own attribute, Skill. That piece was cast out on the currents of time, drifting lost until it found you, just a newborn child. I was powerless until you came into being, as powerless as my children had been as my grandchildren slaughtered each other in pointless wars._

_Now you will have to make a stand against the Twili, the descendants of the magi my children banished into the realm of Twilight. If you do not stand, or if you fall, the world of light may be covered by twilight forever. In the event you do fall, continue protecting Zelda, everyone in the three high races – Goron, Zora, and Hylian – will be turned to spirits except for the two of you, but the low race infesting Hyrule fields, I believe you call them Bulbins, will merely be transformed, along with the great birds that they sometimes ride. They and the Twili will be in control, until Farore's champion arrives to mend the balance._

Hylia looked at the statue of her lifting the basin and shivered, crossing her arms as if against a cold wind. Kyro looked to it as well – was it just his imagination or was it trembling slightly? Then he looked back at his patron as she continued speaking, _Time grows short, I will send you back now, remember, do not let Zelda fall, no matter what else happens. Oh, I believe your people have a saying that may fit the approaching times, 'It is always darkest before the dawn'. _Hylia looked back to her statue, then back to Kyro, releasing his hand, _Goodbye Kyro, I will keep a close eye on you, remember that._

With that, Hylia placed her hand on his brow, chanting an incantation to return him to Jekahn as the sun rose in the east, bathing them with light. As she finished chanting, Kyro disappeared in a flash of silver, and Hylia lowered her hand, turning and basking in the warmth of the sun before turning and facing the statue again. She registered the arrivals of her children, but did not turn to face them.

The three of them knelt to her, speaking as one, _"Mother, is it time?"_

Hylia looked to the sky as her statue trembled visibly, then sank into the ground, to be replaced by the mirror and passage of twilight.

_Yes my daughters, it is time to fight._

To herself, she added, _but maybe not time to win._

Kyro came to next to Jekahn, Turno kneeling over him with a bottle of Red Chu Jelly.

"Hey man! You've been out for hours now! I thought you'd never wake up!"

He lifted Kyro's head and poured the bottle's contents down the Sheikah's throat, holding him down as the boy gagged and thrashed, but swallowed.

"There, all better. You were one sorry sight man, what happened, you get in a fight with a possessed building and come out on the bottom?"

Kyro sat up and looked over towards the Desert, where storm clouds were gathering, "What's happening over there?" He asked, his voice raw.

Turno followed his gaze, "I have no idea man, but whatever it is, it isn't good, I can tell you that." He looked at Kyro as the Sheikahn mounted his horse, "Hey, where you going man? You sure you're alright?"

Kyro nodded and set Jekahn at a gallop back to the palace, he didn't have time to waste if Hylia was correct, and he had a feeling of _mother knows best dear._

Mother was not feeling like she knew best at the moment. The four of them were surrounded by shadow beasts, who were somehow surviving the radiant light the goddesses were producing. The beams of power the goddesses generated incinerated the beasts at the slightest touch, but the numbers seemed endless, and the goddesses powers were not.

Nayru fell to her knees first, retreating into her spherical form and shooting back into the heavens at Hylia's command, and she was shortly followed by Farore, and then Din.

Soon even Hylia was feeling the strain, when Din had retreated, she'd stopped her beam and summoned her staff, which was just as effective, but it didn't vaporize entire columns of her enemies at once. She was forced to bring them down one at a time, and even her immense skill and power was starting to fade. All at once though, the Shadow Beasts withdrew out of her range, leaving a pathway to the mirror and the still open passage, which _finally _stopped spewing out shadow beasts. But too late. A final form came through, not a beast, but a man, dressed in strange armor. He came down the steps, clapping slowly. "Well done indeed Hylia. I had expected the four of you to be powerful, but I never expected even you to last this long." The king of twilight knelt down next to where Hylia had fallen, her staff vanishing in a burst of light and she slumped, hands on her knees, with her legs folded underneath her. She looked him in the face, _You should have no power here. How is it your army resists my light?_

The king chuckled, "My own god provides the power necessary to provide the protection needed, and he also kindly provided us with the shade that prevents the sun's rays from reducing them to dust like your powers did."

The truth hit Hylia, and her silver eyes widened _Your 'god' is but a man, who stole power from us. That is the nature of your god, nothing but a thieving coward who hides behind you and your beasts. _She did not detect the shadows creeping up on her until it was too late, and then she was ensnared, unable to return like her daughters.

Zant stood and raised a hand, "God or man, his power has defeated you." Several creatures came forward and grabbed Hylia's bound form, taking her and setting her down on the steps she had created so long ago, to imprison the ancestors of the man now sending her after them. Zant performed a mocking bow, "Goodbye Hylia, I'll be sure to pay you a visit when I return.

_False King! Interloper! Coward! When I get back here, I'll_

Zant did not hear what Hylia would do to him when she got back, as the mirror performed the task she'd created it to do and sent her into the twilight, accompanied by the beasts who would throw her into the deepest cell in the palace.

Zant raised a hand, summoning an orb of powerful energy and firing it. He could make his own way between the realms, thanks to his connection with his god. The orb hit the mirror and smashed it into four pieces, and Zant cursed the interfering little imp that prevented him from being the true king of Twilight.

He summoned a group of his servants, "Go about this realm and scatter the pieces of the Mirror far and wide. Oh, and as you go, steal the spirits light so we may move more freely." As the beasts gathered the mirror shards and went about their task, Zant turned to the rest of his host.

"We have a glorious and mighty task to do. Go to Hyrule castle, take control."

End of Chapter Six

**So what do you all think of Sacred Trials? Leave a review, or Din, Farore, and Nayru are going to be told you have Hylia captive. I think you all can imagine what they'll do.**

**Enjoy the next thrilling enstallment of the Triforce of Skill: I don't know what the chapter will be called yet!**


	7. Twilight Zone

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Seven

Twilight Zone

Kyro rode hard through the gates of Castle Town, people scattering in droves to escape his path. He turned hard and leaped off of Jekahn next to the palace gates, hitting the ground running. The guards opened the gates and doors in front of him, clearing the path of the young Sheikah with obviously an urgent task.

Kyro slowed before the doors to the council chambers, catching his breath before making his way inside. As the door closed behind him, Byril and Elder Guran glanced up at him, nodded, and returned their attention to the argument between Zelda and Chairwoman Tyrell.

"Your highness, it's a simple fact. The treasury simply does not hold the funds to continue paying the Sheikah the wages they make now, nor does it have enough to provide for their upkeep. The path is clear, if we are to continue with enough gold to pay for the armor and weapons of the palace guards, the Sheikah must leave the palace completely, and find work elsewhere." Tyrell finished her argument with a smug smile, unaware that Kyro had come in behind her – the back of her chair faced the door, while Zelda sat on the other side of the table from her.

Zelda calmly but firmly countered her, but her voice rose with every sentence. "I will not send the Sheikah away, they are far superior to the castle guard, and I would be dead three times now without them. I am aware that the treasury is dipping low on funding, but perhaps there would be a bit more if _somebody_ were making sure that her realm's taxes were paid, fully, and on time. Or, if you would rather maintain the façade that you're paying as much as you can without bleeding your people dry, perhaps I should cut _your _wages, along with those of every ridiculous, overstuffed, inept noble sitting at this table!" Zelda stood as Tyrell opened her mouth, "I'm not done Tyrell, so don't try to stop me! You have only two things in mind when you sit down here, your power, and your comfort. Since neither of those matters are of any concern to me, or the people of Hyrule, I'm wondering why I even keep you people on this council!"

Kyro spoke up, "You know your majesty, I wonder the same thing every day. I'm pretty sure it's not for her sense of humor."

Every person in the room who was previously unaware of his presence turned in their seat to look at him, their looks ranging between relief at his safe return (Zelda), surprise at his entrance (The Zora and Goron diplomats), and annoyance or outrage at his survival (He wasn't popular with the Hylian nobles).

Tyrell stood, "Hold your tongue you insolent whelp! You have no voice on the council, your job is to guard her highness, and that is all!"

Kyro scoffed, "Well, guarding her against physical threats is one thing, protecting her sanity is quite another. I'm not sure how she sits in here for hours every day, listening to you prattle on about this and that. It's a wonder her father was able to stay sane for his entire rule, and I plan for Zelda to be alive and on the throne for a significant while longer."

Tyrell's jaw clenched, "I told you to hold your tongue!"

Byril chuckled, "Tyrell, you might as well try to tell the sun not to rise, you might have an easier time getting it to listen to you."

Tyrell then whirled on him, "That is Lady Tyrell to you Sheikah! You're not a noble, just a commoner who's little brother is Sheikahn! You wouldn't even be in here except for him, and he wouldn't be here if Zelda hadn't taken him as a guard! Besides, I'm not sure whether his loyalty stems from his head, or from somewhere significantly lower!"

Zelda stood back up, but Kyro beat her to the punch, literally. Tyrell fell back into her seat, massaging her jaw where Kyro had hit her, "I'm not sure what you're trying to insinuate Tyrell, and I'm not going to read into that statement. What I am going to do is haul you to the main gate and throw you out of this palace, if you don't SHUT UP!"

Byril started to get to his feet, but Zelda kept him down with a hand on his arm. Assaulting nobility was considered a high crime, but only if the ruling member of Hyrule saw it as one.

When the ruling member of Hyrule really wanted to hit the noble themselves, it wasn't so much of a crime.

Zelda spoke softly, "I think you've made you point Kyro. Is there something you had to say in particular, or did you just come here to resume your duties?"

Kyro looked at her, massaging his knuckles, "Yes actually. Pilgrimage done, yada yada yada, we've got a somewhat massive problem."

Zelda's eyebrows rose, "What is this, somewhat massive problem?"

Kyro looked down where his Triforce was beginning to glow gently, before looking up and around the room, "It's quite simple really, we're about to be invaded."

There was an uproar at his words, the nobles surging to their feet and yelling for attention, some calling for his lying head, others saying that his words should be investigated before taken at face value. The clamor went on for a full minute, which was when Byril had had enough and slammed his dagger into the expensive wood table, point first.

The nobles looked at the dagger sticking out of the table as Byril removed his hand from it, "Whether Kyro is telling the truth is a simple matter to discover. Send out a patrol of guards in whichever direction he says the attack will come from, and investigate. If there's nothing, they'll be back soon enough. If something is there, they'll be back with news, or not at all."

The council nodded, and Zelda spoke clearly, "Very well then, visiting representatives, I suggest you return home and inform your people"

Tyrell spoke, "Sheikahn, where do you believe this invasion will come from?"

Kyro looked at her sarcastically, "I get back from the Gerudo desert and say we're going to be attacked, where do you think it's coming from, Kakariko?"

Tyrell turned red at his tone, and would have yelled again if he hadn't dropped his hand to one of the many knives at his belt. The Chairwoman sat down in her place hard, wondering why her plans had suddenly gone so wrong.

As the council filed out, Kyro was approached by Byril and Elder Guran, as Zelda massaged her temples with her index and middle fingers. Kyro handed the pouch of Darksand to Elder Guran, who looked inside, nodded, and placed a length of string inside it, letting the tip dangle out the top. "Light the string and throw it if you're in a tight spot, but only if absolutely necessary." As she went out, she turned back to him, "Oh, well done by the way, you returned in record time. No one's gotten back from that place in less than a week."

As the other Sheikah left, Kyro turned to Zelda, who was still rubbing her temples.

"Bad day?" He asked, collecting a surprisingly small pile of documents from the table in front of her.

Zelda groaned, "Try four. As soon as you left, every Hylian member of the council started talking about the removal of the Sheikah from the palace, as if it were actually going to happen."

Kyro nodded, "They don't get that the mere fact that we're here discourages ninety-five percent of the assassins hired to kill them. Speaking of which, was there any trouble in that quarter while I was gone?"

Zelda shook her head, "It's been quiet lately. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing."

Kyro chuckled, offering her a hand, "Any day when there's no attempt made on your life is a good day. Was Thryyvn executed?"

Zelda nodded, "Yeah, Byril offered to do it in Hyrule Field in the middle of the night, but I turned him down. I had his head removed in the square by one of the guards."

Kyro nodded as they left the room, where Byril was waiting outside. He swung into step with them and Kyro shot him a glance, "Do the Goddesses question _everybody_ on Pilgrimage?"

Byril nodded, "Yep. They rephrase the questions every once in a while, but the base idea is the same. You're not special in that regard."

Kyro nodded, then decided to tip Byril down a notch, "Does Hylia talk to everyone?"

Byril stumbled, then recovered, "No, she doesn't. Was she the one who warned you about the invasion?"

Kyro nodded again, but before he could speak, Zelda interrupted, "Sorry to interrupt, but are you two saying that every Sheikah is spoken to by the Goddesses?"

Byril spoke, "Not all of us, but all of the Clan masters, and the Elders as well. If you go on to be an Elder . . . well, I've heard rumors that you speak to the great fairy in the Cave of Ordeals. I'm not sure I believe it though." They reached the entry hall, "Well, I'd better go and assemble the Shadowclouds, if there's going to be a fight, we'll need to be ready."

Zelda stopped him, "I don't want you in any battles Byril, you're a great fighter, but only when it's hand-to-hand against one person. You haven't been able to fight in full scale battles for nearly two decades now, don't put yourself in that position."

Byril sighed, "Very well Your Majesty, your wish is my command." He turned to Kyro, "You'd better report to Master Tyarn, you can bet that she'll have a group for you to work with. If I'm not going to be fighting, I'll keep an eye on Zelda, it'll be better that way. Go, the Sheikah will probably be assembling in the arena." Byril stared his younger brother into submission, then took the day's scrolls from him as Kyro scampered off.

Kyro made his way through the crowds in the packed arena to where the banner of the Shadowstars was raised, the Encircled Star on his brow matching the silver symbol on the navy blue cloth. He found Master Tyarn, who paired him up with another boy a few years older than him named Onyx.

Onyx nodded to him, "So, the mighty Triforce bearer decided to show up after all. Now I feel safe."

Kyro grinned behind his mask and playfully punched the older boy in the shoulder, greeting his old friend, "How's it going man? I never see you around anymore."

Onyx grinned as well, his eyes creasing, "Oh, it's going well. I hear you just got back from Pilgrimage. How did your meeting with the goddesses go?"

Kyro replied sulkily, "Does everybody besides me know about that?" His humor returned, "It went pretty well, I was actually expecting it to be a lot harder." He didn't mention the fact that he was turned into sliced Sheikah near the end. Then he pulled out his pouch of darksand, "What happens when we light the string?"

Onyx pulled out his own pouch, "No idea. I've been a Pilgrim for three years now, haven't needed it once."

Kyro and Onyx fell silent as the Elders arrived on the balcony, the Clan Masters calling out for silence.

The Elders spoke in unison, "For the first time in centuries, Hyrule faces a threat of invasion. We are called upon to fulfill our role as guardians of the peace of the realm, and therefore we have been asked by the crown to combat the forces that threatens our home in any way we can." Their voices swelled, capturing the crowd, "Many of us may die in the coming battles, and there will be time to mourn our honored fallen after the tide of darkness is turned back from us. May the Goddesses guide your blades."

The Elders filed out, followed by the Clan Masters. The group would coordinate efforts to combat the enemy wherever there was a breach in the lines of Hyrule's knights. If they failed, the foes they could not fell would have a straight path to the Castle, and the Queen.

A hand fell on his arm, "Kyro, the Elders want to speak with you. Come with us." Tyarn led him and Onyx through the twisting passages below the castle, into the Hall of the Elders. The other masters and the Elders were grouped around a table, across which there was a large map of Hyrule. A knife was in it, marking the Gerudo Desert, and the group was busy at work drawing in likely invasion routes. As Kyro approached, Elder Guran looked up at him.

"Ah, Kyro, thank you for coming. You were the one to bring us news of the invasion, but you never said how." Guran's face was old and tired, but her eyes were sharp, and trained on him like those of a falcon.

Kyro approached the table, "Hylia told me, as I was exiting from the Arbiter's Grounds."

Masters Toran, Harlong, Korreiak, and Lareng burst into laughter at his statement, delivered in such a matter-of-fact manner. They stopped laughing as they realized that nobody else was laughing with them.

Toran spoke, looking at the young Sheikahn; whose eyes were as serious as Tyarn's before a fight. "Wait, you're serious? Hylia spoke to you?"

Guran shushed him, then turned to Kyro, "Did she say anything about the nature of the enemy we face?"

Kyro nodded, recalling the visions Hylia had released to race through his mind, "Yes, but they're difficult to explain. I guess the best way forwards would be to ask if any of you know what the Twili are."

From the sharp intake of breath from everybody but Onyx, he assumed the answer was yes. "Hylia said they're what's coming."

Onyx looked around, "Umm, did I miss something? What are the Twily? Why is this a bad thing?"

Tyarn looked at him, "The Twili are a race out of ancient legend, apparently they once conquered the sacred realm the goddesses created for all of us, where they landed when they fell to the world. The goddesses banished the Twili into what they call the twilight realm, alongside the Light Spirits that protect Hyrule. If they are coming back, then there are dark times coming with them."

Kyro looked around as the Elders and Masters added a couple of invasion routes to the map, and then something occurred to him, "Wait, how do they plan on getting out of the desert? Those cliffs are impassable, unless you know about the stairs, or you can fly. Can they, I don't know, teleport?"

The Elders froze, and Guran slowly looked up at him, her voice barely a whisper, "Yes, yes they can. Anywhere they want." She looked down at the map again, and Tyarn drew a knife, slamming it down in the middle of Hyrule Castle.

The battle raged in the streets below the castle between the armies of Hyrule and Twilight. The Shadow beasts were slowly but surely overwhelming the stalwart fighters opposing them, taking losses as they did. As the cries of battle drifted up from the city, the Shadowstar clan waited in the shadows of the throne room, the Imperial guard between the entrance and Zelda, and they all waited.

The first group of Shadow Beasts came through the door, but they didn't get far into the room before they fell to the floor with knives deep in the flat planes they had for faces. One reared up from where it had been behind the rest and emitted a soul-splitting shriek that made the defenders stagger and clutch their ears. When they recovered, the Sheikah ran at the risen beasts to stop them from reaching the Queen.

Kyro ran forward next to Onyx at the Shadow Beast they'd singled out, Onyx grabbed its attention, smacking his chain across its face. As he did that, Kyro leapt up onto the creatures back and whipped his chain around its neck. He placed a foot at the top of its spine and heaved back on his chain, cutting off the creatures air and preventing it from screaming again as the other Sheikah dealt with their targets. When all the rest had fallen, Kyro gave his chain a sharp yank, snapping the beast's neck and jumping off as it fell to the floor. They waited a moment, then returned to their positions, wiping off assorted blades as they waited for the next group.

They weren't kept waiting for long.

A black mist shot into the room, and an unnamed force gripped the Sheikah, preventing them from moving as more Beasts raced out of the mist, somehow empowered by the evil fog. Kyro struggled against his bonds a moment, then relaxed and focused on the Triforce's power. As the last of the Imperial guards were overrun, one of them dangling in the air, held by a Shadow Beast, a man walked into the room, flanked by two more of the creatures, different from the others.

His strange armor seemed to shriek in Kyro's mind for a moment, as the man walked past him towards Zelda, offering her a choice, Surrender, or Die.

Kyro made an instantaneous decision and moved before Zelda let her sword fall. He leapt onto one of the man's guards, and from there, he launched himself off of it and towards their leader, drawing his blade in midair, preparing to bring it down through the man's back.

His plan didn't work out as expected.

He was seized in midair by the same force that held the other Sheikah around the hall, and let out a yell of surprise as he was brought around to the front of the man, who reached up and held him by the neck.

Kyro gripped at the fingers gripping his throat, heaving with everything he had to get air into his lungs. The grip tightened, and then Kyro was catapulted up and away from the man, slamming into the Triforce above Zelda's throne.

He peeled away from it and fell towards the ground, out of control, nearly thirty feet below him. He slammed to the ground a few feet in front of Zelda, a massive pain blasting through his body before darkness overwhelmed him, and he fell into unconsciousness.

Zelda gasped as Kyro was caught and flung up into the air, falling to her feet with a cry of agony before falling ominously silent. The enemy leader spoke again, "A question for all the land and people, like the boy at your feet. Life? Or death?"

Zelda's last two guards looked at her, weapons ready to spear the interloper at her command. She swallowed hard and dropped the Sword of Hyrule. She knelt at Kyro's side as the evil King turned and walked out of the room, laughing darkly. She placed the hand bearing the Triforce on Kyro's chest, feeling for a pulse with her left. A cry of relief almost escaped her body at his being alive, but she focused, remembering how the sages had healed him at the banquet. She focused, and imagined the cocoon of energy surrounding his body, heaving a sigh of relief as said energy lit up the room at her command, swirling around him in intricate patterns before sinking into his skin. His chest heaved as he drew in a breath, and then his eyes opened, blinking a few times before coming to rest on her face.

He reached weakly and she took his hand, his voice soft, but very much there, "Thank you, Zelda. I'm sorry I failed you."

Zelda was about to respond that he'd never let her down when she saw the first black square rise up out of the ground. She looked up as the squares started rising everywhere she could see, the people still living fading into what appeared to be small balls of greenish flame.

The invisible bonds restraining Onyx ceased as soon as the armored man who had taken Zelda's surrender left the room. He turned and ran over to the throne where Zelda was making a healing cocoon to mend Kyro's wounds. Before he reached them however, a nameless fear struck him, and small black squares began rising up from the floor. He reached out and tried to grab one, but it vanished and reappeared a few inches above his hand. He turned back to the throne and began to walk again, but stopped dead in his tracks as Zelda and Kyro simply . . . faded away.

He ran forward to where they had vanished, looking around with the guards to find any trace of them, but they were just gone. He turned as the rest of the Shadowstars came forward, weapons in their hands, and together with the rest of the Sheikah in the city – by some miracle, there were wounds of all sizes, but none of them had been killed – they tore the palace and surrounding town inside out searching for their missing Queen.

Onyx's heart was heavy as he returned to the Hall of Elders with not even a scrap of a trace of Zelda or Kyro. One look at him was all Guran needed to see, and she dismissed him to help put out the fires raging across the city.

Kyro and Zelda stood as the King of Twilight approached them again, Triforces glowing faintly. As the man sent his guards to escort them to Zelda's study at the top of the eastern tower, Kyro's glare at the creature next to him effectively stopped it from confiscating his weapons.

As they moved through the palace, they spotted dozens of the fiery orbs zooming through the passages around them.

Zelda moved closer to Kyro, "What are they? What has the Twilight done to my people?"

Kyro kept his senses open, waiting for any sign of treachery from their 'escort', "They're spirits, the people of the realm of light passed into the Twilight. I'm betting that a good number of these are Sheikah, tearing the place apart to find you. Must be nice to be popular."

Zelda looked at him for a moment, before returning her gaze to the front, "It would be nicer to not be a prisoner in my own castle." She slipped her hand into his, "But at least it won't be a solitary imprisonment."

Kyro blushed behind his mask, keeping careful control of himself. "Don't say that where these guys can hear you, our 'host' might decide to change his mind about the arrangements."

When they arrived at the study though, they found the 'arrangements' to be quite alright. Zelda's desk had been moved out, as had the soft chairs next to the fire, but a bed had been brought in – probably via teleportation – as well as a couch long enough for Kyro – also likely brought in via teleportation.

The Sheikah was pleased to note that his instruments had been placed next to the hearth, it seemed that their warden was not pure evil at his core – or maybe he was and the instruments had been placed there by Byril sometime during Kyro's absence. Zelda's nod confirmed the latter; the small items had probably just been overlooked during the removal of most of the furniture.

As the guards shut the door behind them, Zelda sat down in her study chair, now facing the window and sighed.

"If you're about to say this is all your fault, don't say it. None of us could have stopped what happened back there, at least the path you chose might hold some hope further down it. If you hadn't surrendered, not only would you be dead, but the people of Hyrule would be down in that city dying as well. You took the only path you had available to you, and that path was the right one, whether it seems like it or not."

"Well I'm sorry to interrupt this little . . . conversation, but would you guys mind if I hid here for a little while?" Kyro and Zelda looked at the bed, where a little imp-like creature was sitting, with a strange headpiece. The imp giggled, "I'll be hiding here either way, so I hope you two don't mind," The imp giggled again before hopping nimbly off of the bed and floating to the floor, "See, I'm in a bit of a jam, Zant wants me dead, I want me alive. I'm guessing you guys don't want to see Zant win, so I'm hoping you let me stay here a while." As the three of them heard the sound of footsteps on the landing outside, the little creature's eyes widened, "uh-oh, don't tell them I'm here!" With that, she slipped under the bed, wriggling deep into the shadows it provided.

The King of Twilight barged into the room, angrily shouting at the creature following him, "I don't care how hard you've searched, this is a massive palace! There is somewhere you haven't looked, and if she's not here, check the towns, check the woods, check the volcano for Ganon's sake! She's somewhere in this realm, I want her found, and then I want her head!"

The King turned into the room, and Kyro got the impression that he was breathing heavily, but it didn't show. He walked over to the window Zelda looked out of before turning and looking at her. "Greetings Queen Zelda, I hope you find the accommodations . . . satisfactory. I am Zant, Ruler of the Twilight."

Zelda's voice was full of sarcasm as rain started pelting the window, "How could I not be pleased with them? I'm locked in my study, and I have no idea what the future holds for me. Nothing could be better. I would appreciate a few changes of clothes though, if you wouldn't mind."

If Zant picked up on the bitterness in her voice, his reply did not show it, "I am pleased to hear that, and your wardrobes will be brought shortly. Whatever you may think of me, I am not truly evil. I am following my nature by conquering your realm, it is simply in my blood to do so." He paused a moment, waiting for her nod, "You understand that there will be no toleration of you working against us? If there is any such attempt . . ." he considered a moment before pointing to Kyro, "This one's regained health will not last long."

Zelda stiffened, and the sarcasm dropped from her voice, but her gaze did not waver from Zant's, "I understand. Is there anything else, or was that all?"

Zant started to leave before stopping at the door, "I am looking for someone by the name of Midna. Small, orange hair, seems to feel entitled to everything. Has she been here?"

Kyro answered, "Yeah, she was here when we got in."

Midna stiffened in her hiding spot where she lay at the boy's words, then relaxed as she heard his next sentence, "She went out the window before the rain started though. Can all of the Twili fly like that?"

Zant waited a moment, staring at Kyro, before leaving and slamming the door behind him. They could hear him yelling at his guards to go and search the city immediately.

Midna came out from beneath the bed, "Thank you, why did you help me?"

Kyro looked over at her sarcastically, "Partly because he threw me into the Triforce like a rag doll, partly because he overthrew my country, but mostly because I can tell a power-monger when I see one, even when I can't see their face."

Midna smiled, "Thank you, why are you wearing that mask? If you don't mind me asking."

Kyro's eyes narrowed, "Possibly for the same reason you wear that headpiece, it's comfortable, and gives me a sense of security."

Midna nodded, then floated over to the window, "There's someone I need to find. I'm going to need help to oppose Zant, I'm not powerful enough to do it myself."

Zelda undid the latch and Midna floated out, "Who are you Midna, really? Why does Zant want you dead?"

The imp smiled, "Sorry, but we've only just met, and I'm not trusting anyone yet. We'll see about me telling you what Zant has against me."

Midna flashed another mischievous smile at them before dissolving into black particles and flashing upwards, disappearing into the Twilight Sky.

End of Chapter Seven

**So, what do you guys think? Leave a review or find out just how B.A. Onyx is, the hard way.**


	8. Farore's Champion is a Wolf?

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Eight

Farore's Champion . . . is a Wolf?

Kyro sat against the wall under the window and listened to the rain on the glass above him. He and Zelda had been confined to the Study for – as far as Kyro could tell with the lack of time passage – roughly three weeks. Midna had made occasional visits, but she never stayed long, having to leave whenever the guard came around.

True to his word – somewhat surprisingly – Zant had a few changes of clothes delivered to them, but so far he hadn't returned. Kyro hoped that it was because he was busy looking for Midna and not because he was busy taking over the rest of the world.

His reverie was interrupted as Zelda stirred and stepped out of bed, swinging a heavy winter cloak around her shoulders, tying up a scarf to help keep warm. The Twilight was a point right before nightfall, and apparently in the middle of winter. He himself was in the Sheikah cold-weather gear, the usual outfit lined with wool to help conserve heat. It was very effective, slightly bulky, but not so much to make the Sheikah not use them. The Elders didn't use them; they would use the same sort of cloak that Zelda was wearing if it was cold enough.

Zelda walked over and stoked the coals, sending a shower of sparks up the chimney, and then turned to Kyro, "Has the guard been in yet?" The Shadow Beasts had stopped arriving once Zant was sure they weren't planning anything, to be replaced by the Twilight Bulbins, who were – if possible – even uglier than normal ones.

Kyro stood and shook himself out, "No, it hasn't." He glanced outside, considering the twilit lands, something that neither of them had spoken about so far, "You know, it is actually quite beautiful, when you think about it."

Zelda joined him, "It would be prettier if I didn't know what lived in it."

"I know you weren't trying to be insulting, so I'll let that slide. But be careful who you say that around." Midna's voice came from behind them, and the two of them jerked around to look at her.

Kyro was the first to speak, "You know, it's very rude to sneak up on people, and occasionally it can be deadly."

Midna scoffed, "Oh, like you've never snuck up on _anyone _in your life. Yet you're still here. Besides, I just came in to get out of the rain, not to interrupt your romantic moment in front of the window." Midna disappeared in a mass of black particles as Kyro's knife whipped through the space she'd previously occupied, reappearing on the back of the couch, "What? You two are standing in front of a window, barely apart, watching the rain come down on the beautiful Twilight landscape, while the fire is providing just the right amount of light to make things dim, but light enough to see each other." She vanished again as Kyro's second knife slammed into the couch where she'd been sitting, this time reappearing on the bedpost. "I'm just saying. You can't blame me for _talking_."

Kyro growled and collected his weapons, working the first one out of the oak door where it had landed, "And I'm just throwing knives at you while you do it. You can't blame me for _killing you."_

Midna laughed again, "Yeah, right whatever you say lover boy."

The only thing that prevented Kyro from throwing another knife was Zelda stepping between the two, "You can kill each other later. Do you have any news for us Midna?"

The imp nodded, studying her non-existent fingernails a moment before replying, "Someone's entered the Twilight. Judging by the way they turned into a wolf instead of a spirit, I'm guessing they aren't normal. Know anyone who acts like a wolf?"

Kyro shook his head, "If it had been a viper, I would have guessed a politician of some sort." A thought occurred to him, "Did you catch a look at their hand? Paw? Whichever?"

Midna tilted her head, her visible eye narrowing, "Yeah, he had a pretty shiny tattoo. Does it matter?"

Zelda and Kyro glanced at each other, then lifted their right hands, showing Midna the symbol of the Triforce. The imp whistled, "Okay, I'm guessing that either you two are in some sort of cult that he happens to be in, or the shiny tattoos are important somehow. Either way, I'll be fetching him now, I followed the Shadow Beast that brought him in back here, he's somewhere in the city right now I think. I'll find him pretty quickly."

Zelda nodded, "Good work, how far has the Twilight expanded, by the way?"

Midna hesitated, "Do you really want to know?" At Zelda's nod, she continued, "It's gotten to the southern edge of the Faron Woods."

Kyro groaned, "You're saying it's encompassed all of Hyrule?"

Midna shook her head, "Ordon hasn't been swallowed, and that's where the kid came in. He looked about your ages."

Zelda shook her head, "Ordon isn't a part of Hyrule. There was some talk on the council about making them a territory, but the council voted against it, they're too concerned about their wallets to actually do anything." She glanced to the door, "You should get going, the guards will probably be here soon, and Zant is still looking for you. You haven't mentioned why yet."

Midna giggled as she started to dissolve, "Nope, and I'm not planning to anytime soon!"

Kyro seriously considered throwing a knife at her as she warped away, but decided against it, he didn't want to break one against the stone wall. Instead, he walked over to the couch and flopped down, picking up his pipes and running through the notes before jumping into a song he was working on to pass the time. Zelda glanced at him, "Do you think this wolf-boy could make a difference?"

Kyro paused mid-note, then lowered his instrument, "Without a doubt. Din said her 'champion' – although she didn't choose him – was stirring in the dark. Farore mentioned that I'd be meeting her champion soon enough, and asked that I please not hurt him overmuch. As a result, I'm assuming that this is her champion who's been dragged into the Twilight, willingly or not." Kyro chuckled, "I'm kind of sorry for the guy, whoever he is. At least we weren't turned into animals when the Twilight fell."

Zelda nodded and returned to her study of the window as Kyro closed his eyes and returned to his playing. He was aware of the guard entering and leaving from the creaky door and the smell of slightly burnt food entering the room – Zelda had been an avid lover of roasted Bullbos before the twilight, but three weeks of one food for both meals made even her tired of it. He heard her sigh slightly as she picked up the knife he'd sacrificed for eating and cut the meat in half, wolfing down the overcooked food before returning to the window and sitting down, leaning her head back against her chair, and listening to the music Kyro provided once he finished his piece.

The current tune was a cheery one, a bit of a mismatch for their situation, but Kyro didn't see the point of playing songs fit for a funeral just because Her Royal Grumpiness wasn't feeling upbeat. She kept blaming herself for Hyrule's fall, and it didn't help that Midna said she had done it at every opportunity, which was one reason Kyro kept chucking knives at the Imp.

After what felt like several days, but could have only been a few hours, the two of them heard a rapid set of footsteps on the stairs outside the marginally open door, accompanied by the clinking of metal on stone. Kyro stood from the couch and slipped into the shadows as Zelda stood next to the window, seemingly oblivious to the door opening a bit more to allow a dark furred wolf to enter the room. Kyro came out of the shadows to stand behind it, close enough to stick a knife into it, but far enough not to be noticed.

As the wolf growled at Zelda's back, bunching its back legs as if to pounce, he stepped forwards and placed the point of his dagger at the back of its head, effectively increasing its manners quite rapidly. Midna giggled as Zelda turned around and the wolf paced forward slowly, rolling her eye and giggling.

"Midna? We didn't expect you back so early."

The wolf glanced around at 'we' and jumped over a few feet as it realized Kyro was standing right next to it with a very sharp knife.

Midna giggled again, her tone sarcastic, "You remembered my name? What an honor for me!"

Zelda ignored the comment, "This is the one you mentioned earlier?"

The Imp shrugged, "He wasn't what I was expecting, but I guess he'll do."

Zelda knelt down next to the wolf, looking at the chain around his paw, "So you were imprisoned?" She looked away sadly, "I'm sorry."

Kyro spoke up, "Again with the being sorry for things you can't or couldn't change. How were you supposed to affect it when both of us are stuck up in this tower?"

Midna's tone was full of 'sympathy', "Such a poor thing, he has no idea what's going on, or where he is? Why don't you tell him what you've done?"

Kyro's hand went back to his knife, "Watch it Midna, you've brought a pile of wet fur into the room already, I don't want to have to make the place smell of bleeding Twili as well."

Zelda made him stand down with a hand gesture, before turning back to Midna and her mount, addressing the wolf, "This was once the land known as Hyrule, but it has been overrun by the forces of Twilight, which has descended like a shroud over our kingdom." As Zelda explained the state of the kingdom, Kyro kept a steady eye on the wolf, prepared for any sign of aggression towards the Queen.

_Hall of the Elders, far beneath Hyrule Castle_

Byril sighed as the latest search group returned, empty handed, and disheartened. Zelda had disappeared almost a month ago, and none of the Sheikah – not a single one of them – could find even a whisper of their whereabouts. The only hope Byril had was that Kyro was with her, but even that was starting to fade. He worried that the two of them were dead, or worse. A hand fell on his shoulder, and he looked up into Kanai's sorrowful eyes, "It's late, and you've been working yourself thin the last few weeks. You can't keep going like this Master."

Byril sighed again as he stood up, the girl was right, "I know Kanai, you're right. I just want to know what happened to them."

The girl's eyes smiled at him a little behind her dark mask, the same kind he wore, now that she'd fought her way into the Shadowclouds, "Get some rest. Guran told me to let you know she'd have someone keep an eye on you the next few days, and if you come back here in less than five, she'll personally have Kastay tie you down in your rooms so you can't leave."

Byril rolled his eyes, but acknowledged the order, making his way out of the hall. Kanai walked with him for a short way, but then turned off and ran over to Tola, a recent addition to the Shadowstars – by the skin of his teeth. The two of them hurried off together and Byril smiled, _even when the world's gone mad, and we've been conquered by demonic creatures from an alternate world, sometimes the little things can make a person happy._ Then his mind turned to his own 'little things' and his smile died, _Kanai really was right, I don't think I've spent more than a few minutes with my family since the attack, _his smile really died and was replaced by a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach and he started to hurry, _oh damn, Kastay's going to kill me if I show up and they're halfway through dessert._

The Sheikah was in one of the low-ceilinged alcoves lining the arena, they were used as seating to get a close look at fights, or, in this case, a chance to vent your frustrations at something that wouldn't hit you back. Onyx hit the sandbag hanging from the ceiling one more time and then leaned against it, falling over as the bag split and sand flew out of the bag, now missing its lower third or so. He rolled out of the way before he was buried in the grains, and shook himself to dislodge any sand that seemed to like him. He sighed and sat up, he'd been looking forward to sparring with Kyro during the Sheikahn's free time – assuming he'd be able to find any – but now it seemed as though there would be no chance of that. He sighed again and let himself flop back down, scrambling to his feet as he heard Tyarn's voice on the balcony, "I hope you're planning on cleaning that up."

Onyx looked at the sandy mess, then out at the sandy arena floor, then up at Master Tyarn, "No, not really. Just thought I'd kick it out into the arena, let the rest sort itself out."

Tyarn descended, "Well, I thought you might enjoy a little distraction, and sparring always seems to cheer you right up." She laughed aloud as Onyx's skin went pale, "No, not me. I thought you'd enjoy fighting Tola, he's one of us as of the day before yesterday. Turned seventeen last week. Anyway, I think he's in the gardens with Kanai, so if you do want to spar him, you should hurry up before he's lost in fantasy land."

Onyx chuckled, "If they haven't changed much, then they're out there holding hands and the last thing _he _wants to think about it fighting. In the normal sense, at least."

They shared a brief laugh, and then Tyarn stretched a little, "Well then, why don't we fight? It's been a while since I've had a good one, and you're one of the best. You could give Kyro a good run for his money if he were still here."

Onyx tilted his head, "So your fight with Kyro wasn't a 'good fight'?"

Tyarn dropped into a fighting stance, "I don't count the ones where I lose."

Zelda finished her tale and Kyro relaxed a fraction before bending down and touching the Wolf's paw with the chain around it. At first, there was no reaction, then the Triforce appeared on it, the marking of Courage shining brightly against the wet fur. Kyro straightened as if nothing had happened, before the Wolf – or Midna – realized what he'd done.

Zelda waited a moment, then, "This land may have succumbed to Twilight, but I am still it's ruler," She turned from where she'd returned to the window and removed her hood, taking her scarf with it, "I am Zelda."

Midna was shocked, "You don't have to look so sad, we actually find it to be quite livable! Is perpetual Twilight truly that horrible? You said yourself that it was beautiful earlier."

Zelda's brows creased, "This is no time for levity Midna. The Shadow Beasts have been searching far and wide for you, and you have yet to tell us why."  
Kyro took a few steps forward and leaned against the wall, "I know you claim not to trust us, but who would we tell? Zant hasn't been here for two weeks as far as we can tell – how long _has _the Twilight covered Hyrule anyway?"

Midna shrugged, "About three of your weeks." She returned her gaze to Zelda and floated up a bit, "As to your question Zelda, why indeed? Surely you have a few theories floating around in that overstuffed brain of yours." She sat back down on the Wolf and looked back to Kyro, "I just came up with another reason to love the Twilight, you don't have to deal with any stuffy nobles anymore, do you?"

Kyro shrugged, "I'd rather have to deal with them than know that they're doing whatever they want while Zelda and I aren't able to get to the meetings. It's probably Tyrell's dreams come true. On the plus side, Byril, Elder Guran, and the non-Hylian representatives should be enough to keep any votes at a tie, unless they're somehow beneficial to the kingdom. I rather doubt that anything's really getting done there, come to think of it."

Zelda looked to the door, "You should go, the guard will be coming soon, and it's best you aren't discovered. You must go, now."

The wolf seemed reluctant to go, but Midna grabbed an ear and pulled until he turned and ran out the door, still ajar from his entrance. Kyro turned to Zelda, sarcasm plainly written in his eyes, "So, Farore's champion is a wolf, and our last hope for returning Hyrule from the Twilight. Great, I always wanted to pin my hopes on a wolf and a demonic Imp who obviously has her own agenda."  
Zelda nodded, "Like it or not, our path is set before us, and we have no choice but to follow it to the end."  
Kyro rolled his eyes, "Right, well, I don't know about you, but I don't think I can do much following from this room. And we can't leave this room because the palace is overrun with Bulbins, and they're controlled by Zant the power hungry fish face. I'm feeling really excited about our chances of getting through this sane."

_The Council Room_

Tyrell stood and hammered on her desk for order, desperate to use the time without Zelda's interference to get a few things done to get her agenda ahead. The girl had a will of steel, with wit and a backbone to match it, a horrifying change from her weak willed yet charismatic father. Tyrell only had a few problems now, the Sheikah had delayed votes by pointing out that not the entire council was even there, the Goron and Zora representatives were part of the council, whether Tyrell liked it or not. The next problem was that to get any laws through, they needed not only the signature and seal of the Queen, but two thirds of the Council had to agree on it before a law even reached the Queen's desk. As a result, Tyrell had gotten nothing at all done in the weeks since Zelda's disappearance.

Elder Guran decided enough was enough, "Order, by the goddesses, let's have some order in here!"

The Zora representatives gradually quieted down, glaring at the diplomats from the Faron province, who had made a rather rude remark about the 'northern fish people' holding back the water from Lake Hylia. The Gorons and Sheikah had sided with the Zoras, and most of the Hylians had sided with the Faron diplomats. Tyrell had tried to keep the argument from escalating to far, but her efforts had resulted in more yelling.

She sat back into her seat, "Thank you Elder Guran. Now, while you have the stage, has any progress been made towards finding our lost queen?" Her voice was layered with false concern, and it didn't fool the old Sheikah for a moment.

Elder Guran glared at her, but it was Byril who spoke, "No, just as there has been no progress since Hyrule was taken by shadow. I feel that I speak on behalf of anyone looking for them, that until we are through this mess, meaning when the sky returns to itself and these abominable particles stop rising, then we will make forward progress. Until then however, please refrain from your attempts to make us appear outdated and useless." His voice was calm, but Tyrell could feel the anger behind it.

She replied with a sugar coated tongue, "Oh, that's right, you're little brother disappeared with her, didn't he? Have you considered that he may have been working with the enemy to kidnap her and is at this very moment keeping her hidden from us? Perhaps they're holed up in the now inaccessible Ordon province, or perhaps the desert or Snowpeak?"  
_That _remark hit home, and the council heard the rage clearly behind Byril's attempts to keep his tone civil, "If you recall, the guards who lived clearly said that Kyro was thrown into the symbol of the Triforce before falling to the ground. I highly doubt that he was or is in any condition to keep _himself _hidden, much less while providing for Zelda at the same time. Besides, he's sworn to _protect_ her, not toss her to an enemy of the kingdom."

Tyrell shrugged, "Oath or no oath, I'm simply stating a possibility."

One of the Zora's spoke next with a cold voice, "A possibility that if found true, could effectively remove the Sheikah from the castle, and this council, which is something you've been pushing for since Kyro left on his quest. I would not be surprised if you yourself had something to do with Zelda's disappearance, seeing as you and your Hylian lapdogs cannot control her as you did her father."

It was Tyrell's turn to hide her anger, "Are you honestly suggesting something so ridiculous? I practically worship the ground Zelda walks on—"

"If only to rise behind her and drive a knife into her back." A Goron spoke up, accurately depicting something Tyrell had fantasized about doing more than once.

Tyrell decided she'd had enough, sweeping out of her chair and exiting the room, her extravagant robes getting caught in the door in the process. Byril fought down laughter as the door reopened, the robes were yanked through, and then the door was slammed shut again.

One by one, her supporters rose and followed her, the door shutting behind the last as Guran rose and addressed the remaining council, "Well, now that they've forfeited their votes, perhaps it's time we addressed some of the issues they refuse to face, hmm?"

_Several weeks after Midna found the Champion of Farore_

Kyro was pacing irately, since Midna and the Wolf had left, there had been no word on what the two of them had been doing since they arrived. Most of his time had been spent working out to pass the time – as well as to stay in shape – or playing his panpipes. Zelda had taken to his harp after a while, and even with only a few days of practice, she was pretty good at it. At the moment she was playing it at the window, absently strumming random strings. Eventually, he tired of pacing and flopped onto the couch, "Where could they be by now? Faron and Kakariko are pretty small, they shouldn't have taken more than a few days each – he was guessing Midna knew how to return the light to each place – and the Lanayru province was bigger, so he would allow for a good week, maybe a week and a half. At that speed, they should have finished with the Lanayru Province at least a few days ago. Zelda set the harp down and looked to him, "Finally done pacing? It took at least this long for Midna to find her little friend and you weren't this impatient before she did."

Kyro glanced at her, "Well yes, but before she found the Wolf, I was expecting a long wait. It shouldn't have taken this long for them to get through the kingdom, especially if Midna is as powerful as Zant seemed to think she was." He let his head fall back down, "It's just—"

He stopped as light flooded the room, flashing into his eyes and blinding him for a moment. When he opened them again, he rushed to the window and looked out, "Finally! It's about time you little imp!"

The door opened and they turned, expecting one of the Sheikah. Kyro's triumphant feelings were replaced by ones of annoyance as he was forcibly reminded that they were still prisoners of the Bulbins, even though the Twilight had been pushed back. The creature hadn't seemed to notice the cessation of Twilight particles rising, and brought the standard tray into the room, turning back to the door just as it opened.

This time it, it was Onyx.

The Sheikah let out a startled cry at the appearance of the creature within the palace and flung a knife into it before it could react to him. Kyro walked over and picked up the corpse, pulling out Onyx's knife and handing it back to him before hauling the Bulbin over to the window and unceremoniously dumping it out. He turned back and came over to the door, giving Onyx's back a friendly slap before looking out into the stairwell. He reentered the room, "Zelda stay here until somebody comes to get you, if a Bulbin comes in . . ." he hesitated a moment before walking over and handing her a knife, "Drive it in up under the chin hard, don't let go until they fall down." With that cheery thought, he raced out of the room, followed closely by Onyx.

Byril wasn't having a good day. First it had been great, with the world returning to normal, but then the Sheikah clans became aware of the Bulbin infestation. They'd been fighting hard for more than an hour now, but there was still a large part of the palace to clear out. Not to mention that when they did have it cleared of monsters, they still had no idea if Zelda and Kyro had returned with normalcy.

Normally Byril wouldn't have taken part in the fighting, but now he was perched up on a ledge snatching Bulbins with his chain and yanking hard. They had necks like paper.

It was almost night before they'd managed to push the Bulbins back into the throne room, taking heavy casualties as they did. Not all of the bodies were Sheikah or Bulbin, many were remnants of the palace guard – which would now have to be practically completely remade – yet the majority of the Hylians scattered like leaves through the palace were servants, unarmed, unarmored, and given no mercy by the retreating enemy. Byril had climbed up onto one of the pillars surrounding the room – calling out orders to the Sheikah below and thanking the goddesses that any Bulbins with bows were dead or out of arrows – when he noticed the flash of light at the far end of the room, accompanied by screams of pain and the savage war cry of the Sheikah. Kyro and Onyx were cutting through the Bulbin swarms – slowly and carefully, but very effectively – making a stand in front of the doors to the eastern wing of the palace, which led to the living quarters.

Byril shouted down at the nearest group – conveniently a platoon of shadowstars – to move across and reinforce the two Sheikah before sliding down to avoid a clatter of arrows, apparently the Bulbins weren't as out of them as he'd hoped. As he moved with the group of elite fighters, Byril became aware of just how _deadly_ they really were. When they weren't cutting a Bulbin open, they were dealing pain in other assorted ways, slamming knives into weak points, landing hammer blows with their fists and knocking the beasts flat on their backs, or just snapping necks as they moved. Byril had originally stayed at the front, but had slipped back after a few moments, and they were now moving significantly faster. Instead of cutting straight through the mass of creatures, they had first made their way to the side, where the fighting was thinner. Once there, they proceeded at a steadily to the door that Onyx and Kyro were defending.

Kyro's knife flickered out, sending another of the hideous creatures reeling in agony. They weren't aiming to kill, just wound. Killing took them out more permanently, but a wounded fighter had to be dragged off by someone else, and that took two enemies out at once, apparently the Bulbins did value the lives of the others in their clan, so it was working just as well as it would against more . . . civilized creatures. He whipped his arm around and took a second out, but as he came in for a third, the third was yanked back by a chain appearing around its neck. Kyro let out a whoop of delight as a squadron of his clan appeared, then hurriedly ducked as another of the trolls swung its cudgel at him, trying to force a farewell between his head and shoulders. He popped back up and rammed a knife home in its stomach, spinning away to deal out more pain to the creatures who had invaded his home.

When the Shadowstars had arrived at the door, he and Onyx leaned against it, sucking in air as they recovered from the fighting. He looked over to Onyx, "That arm doesn't look to happy."

Onyx glanced up from where his arm was twisted at an awkward angle, "No, it isn't. Not all of us get blessed by the goddesses Kyro. Some of us just do what we can."

Kyro raised an eyebrow, "Well, for the best you could do, you did pretty well. You were keeping up with my tally at first. What did you get to, Eighty? Eighty-five?"

Onyx shook his head, "Seventy-two dead, wounded another Goddesses know how many. You?"

Kyro grinned mirthlessly, "Dead? Ninety-seven. Wounded? I lost count around a hundred and four. Feels like we've been fighting all day."

"That's because we have been," Byril had tuned into the conversation from where he was leaning against the wall, watching the deadly dance of the Shadowstars really start happening, "The black particles stopped rising just after sunup, and we've been forcing these bastards back since around mid-morning." He came over to Onyx and took a look at his arm, "Well, this may seem obvious, but—"

"Don't tell me, it's broken." Onyx cut him off, "Can you just hurry up and do what you can?"

Byril nodded, "Brace yourself, this is gonna hurt." Onyx grunted as Byril pushed the arm back into its natural position, and then quickly bound it with heavy bandages. Byril slapped his good shoulder, then sent him back through the door, "Just in case any make it past us."

Onyx scoffed, "I think you mean just in case I get in the way." He did go back to the study though, muttering darkly about how the world had gone mad.

Byril and Kyro looked at each other for a moment, then, "Ouch! What was that for Byril?" Kyro reeled from Byril whacking him upside the head, "Sheesh, and I thought you'd be happier to see me." An arrow clattered off the stone next to Kyro's head and he returned to the line, filling in a gap where one of the Shadowstars had taken an arrow in the chest, falling like a puppet without strings. "Ninety-eight, ninety-nine . . ."

It was nearly morning before the Bulbins were beaten down. As the remaining creatures fled into the darkness, the clan masters called off pursuit, wisely deciding that pursuing the creatures into their own territory could be very costly.

As they returned, Onyx met them at the gate, followed by Zelda, who had apparently been waiting impatiently for news of what was happening in her castle. When they had reached the council chambers, Zelda informed the Sheikah leaders what had happened in the past month or two, to the surprise of all of them. Tyarn was the first to speak, "So, you're saying that this entire time, you've been in the castle, right under our noses, in one of the first places we looked? I have a hard time getting my head around this."

Elder Guran spoke as well, "Well, no matter. The thing is, everyone's back, the Twilight has lifted, and the creatures infesting the castle have been driven out. How many of the servants are left? We should celebrate our release!"

Toran spoke next, "I believe most of the staff are still alive, the majority of them fled at the first sight of the Bulbins. I cannot blame them, they're not fighters." He looked around, "In which case, it should be possible to host a bit of a banquet in a short time indeed. At your will, your majesty."

Zelda nodded, "I do believe we're due a bit of celebration, hard-won freedom is a reason to rejoice indeed. Tell the kitchens we'll need something prepared in . . . oh, let's say three days. That should give us time to prepare properly."

No one mentioned that the 'preparations' would include burials and ceremonies for the fallen, there was no need to. Still, it was a brighter future indeed without the clouds of Twilight covering the skies.

End of Chapter Eight

**Mwahahahaha, leave a review or you're going to find an Imp on a Wolf waiting on your doorstep.**

**So, what oh what will happen next? Find out in Triforce of Skill: Ancient Forests**


	9. Ancient Forests

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Nine

Ancient Forests

Kyro stepped back as the last of the fallen Sheikah went up in flames, very few of his clan had fallen in the battle to retake Hyrule, but smoke hung heavy in the air from the other pyres around the field, releasing the spirits of those producing it, letting them stand at the sides of the goddesses. Kyro unconsciously rubbed his hand, still wondering about the storm clouds at the Arbiter's Grounds. He – and most of the Sheikah – didn't believe in coincidences, and the fact that Hylia had spoken with him, warning him of the attack, and then an unnatural phenomenon had occurred exactly above where she had been was a bit of a stretch for him to believe the two events unrelated.

Tyarn finished her speech about the glory of the fallen, how they'd died serving Hyrule and the goddesses, yada yada yada, and the Shadowstars made their way slowly back into the palace, Kyro stepping alongside Onyx, the two of them leaving Tola standing next to one of the fires, where the ashes of his father stirred in the faint morning breeze. The rain began coming down as they stepped under the shelter of the pillars, not quite inside, but at least out of the rain.

Kyro was the first to speak, "Did any of your family . . ." His voice trailed off as he remembered that Onyx had been an orphan from a young age, much like him, "Right, sorry."

Onyx shook his head, "Nah, it's okay. Never knew mom, and dad died in the purge, just a few years later. You know I'm past it. How's Byril?"

Kyro shrugged, "His shoulder's bugging him more than usual, but it was under more stress than usual, so that's not unexpected." He sighed and looked over to Tola, doing a double take when he saw the second figure standing next to him. Then he nodded, "When do you think those two will finally admit they're crazy for each other? They've been 'hanging out' a lot recently, but they still claim to be nothing but friends. They make it look so hard."

Onyx lightly punched his shoulder, "And your love life is what exactly? Have you told Zelda how you felt? You were crazy about her before I joined the Shadowstars, and that was almost four years ago now."

Kyro blushed and ducked his head, "I don't know what you're talking about. Zelda and I are just friends, and I'm Sheikahn. She's my direct employer now, on top of being the queen."

Onyx's eyes rolled, "Uh-huh. What were you just saying about Tola and Kanai? Something about, 'they say they're just friends and that's all'?"

Kyro punched the other boy, slightly harder than a friendly hit would be, "Oh shut up. You don't get it. Unless you have something you'd like to tell me?"

Onyx shook his head, "Hah! Even if there were someone for me, do you really think I would tell you? Sometimes you make less sense than a drunken Bulbin."

Kyro laughed, "And you'd know how much sense they make because?"

Their banter was interrupted by Kanai and Tola ascending the steps, blushing and moving away as the two boys whistled. Kyro smiled softly, remembering what had happened the last time he'd done that. He and onyx waited until the others were level with them, and then the four of them went inside.

"Are you guys ready to play tonight?" Onyx asked, "I think you really made an impression at the last ball you did."

The three of them glared at him, "Yeah, right before King Hyran was shot. I don't think people remember how we played."

Onyx shrugged, "Hey, I remember. And I'd bet my last rupee that Zelda remembers too. She had you play for his funeral, didn't she?"

Tola sighed, "Yeah, and on that cheery thought—"

He was interrupted by Elder Heryll, "Good morning children. Are you ready for tonight? You were aware that Her Majesty expects you to play tonight, yes?"

Kanai responded quickly, "No, we weren't." Her gaze turned to Kyro, "Is there something you forgot to tell us?"

Kyro quickly brought his hands up defensively, "Hey, just because I'm Sheikahn, that doesn't mean that I know everything that goes through Zelda's head. Besides, I haven't really talked to her since we got the castle back, we've all been busy. If we are playing, this is the first I've heard of it."

Onyx elbowed him, "Well, now you've heard it. I'd get practicing if I were you."

Before he could hurry off, Kanai and Tola grabbed his arms, "Where do you think you're going? You're part of the group again, since we're all in clans now. No more freebies for you. I really hope you've been practicing, because you are definitely playing tonight!" Kanai grabbed the unfortunate boy by the ear and dragged him off towards the tunnels, Tola following close behind. Kyro could hear Onyx's desperate pleas for mercy, and grinned as the boy yelled for help before the passages swallowed the three of them up.

Kyro made his way to the room Zelda was currently using as a study. She had grown . . . tired of the tower in their stay there, so she was signing documents in her chambers. She looked up as he entered, and then stamped another document with a sigh, "It looks like Tyrell got something done during our stay in Twilight. I just wish that she'd done less."

Kyro stepped behind her and examined another scroll, "On the upside, I'm betting that the worst of it was blocked by the other council members, and—"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door, "Your Majesty, Tyrsten, heir of the Faron province, has arrived, and wishes to see you."

Zelda sighed and muttered, "The only good thing about the Twilight is that it delayed the onset of _suitors._" She raised her voice, not letting her tiredness – or impatience with the kingdom's bureaucracy – show, "Let him in."

The young noble entered as Kyro stepped back into a small hidden niche, where he could observe without being seen. He grimaced as he saw the hopeful suitor, he wasn't remarkable, but if rumor were true, he had a charm about him that made women fall head over heels for him.

Kyro wondered how far that would the boy with Zelda, then mentally admonished himself. _Bad Kyro, it doesn't matter who Zelda falls for, you're just the bodyguard, and it is your job to make sure she isn't knifed by anyone, literally and metaphorically._

Zelda mentally sighed as the heir of the Faron province began a – hopefully short – conversation, "Good morning your highness, I had heard rumors of your beauty, but they did not do you justice." The young lord looked completely at ease, as if he wooed queens daily, but he deflated somewhat at her reply.

"Thank you for the compliment, and I would love to chat, but I'm afraid that I have a great deal of work to do before tonight. Perhaps we can speak at the ball, hmm?" She smiled angelically at him – sure that Kyro was grinning from his hiding spot – then returned her gaze to the document – conveniently one from his mother Tyrell – and set it into the pile of discards that would feed the fire tonight.

The young lord was quiet a moment, "Very well your highness—"

"Your Majesty." She interrupted without looking back up.

He stumbled over his next words, "Uh, come again?"

Zelda glanced up at him that time, "My title is 'Your Majesty', not 'Your Highness'. I may not be married – and that's the reason you're here – but I am still the reigning power in Hyrule, and therefore, I am 'Your Majesty'. My future husband will be the 'Highness'. I'm the royal bloodline, nobody else. If you've been told different by anyone, feel free to find them and give them a slap for me."

Tyrsten blinked twice, "My apologies . . . Your Majesty. Uh, I hope we can speak later." He fled before she could berate him for anything else.

Kyro stepped out as the door shut behind the fleeing noble, "Well, that was . . . interesting. Do you plan to deal with all of them that way?"

Zelda nodded, "If they have a problem with not being the supreme power in the land, well, that's not my problem. _I _am the child of Hyran Cherall Hyrule, not them. No marriage will change that." She glanced at him, "Do you have songs picked out for tonight?"

Kyro glared at her for a moment, "When were you planning on telling me about that, by the way?" He dropped the glare as she raised a cool eyebrow at him, and he sighed, "Not really. I figured the four of us would play the same songs as last time."

Zelda was caught off guard, "Four of you? Who's the fourth?"

Onyx was being held against his will until he found his lute. He'd gotten out of playing on account of his being in the Shadowstars while the others weren't members of any clan, but now that ship had sailed. He found the dusty instrument tucked away in his closet, and started playing with a sigh as it became clear that Kanai and Tola weren't going to let him off until they heard him play. He pulled a song out of his memory and prayed to the goddesses that he could still play. His fingers moved of their own accord and music drifted from the wood and string, a folk song that most people knew. Kanai closed her eyes and nodded to the beat while Tola watched him like a hawk.

As he finished, Tola nodded, then tossed him a list he'd been writing as he played, "Here, these are the songs we did last time. I'm guessing that we're doing the tonight, given the short notice."

Onyx gulped at the list – at least he knew most of them by heart – and looked up at his tormentors, "Are you sure I have to play tonight?"

He let out a yelp as Kanai thwacked him, "Yes, you do have to play. You got free of it for _four years_ before we were all clan members, time to make up the difference." She made her way to the door, "Tola, could you stay here and make sure he does what he needs to? I would hate to have to knock him off of his pillar tonight because he wasn't ready."

The door shut behind her and Onyx looked at his guard, "Wow, real nice girl you picked."

Tola just glared at him, "Get to work."

Kanai looked down from her perch above the kingdom's nobility as Kyro and Onyx finished sparring and made their way up the pillars. _Wow, I'd almost forgotten what it was like to look down on them. I wonder if they even know we're up here? Well, whether they do or not, they're about to find out!_

She picked up her harp as Kyro and Onyx settled into position, letting Tola set the beat before strumming along with him. As the tune progressed, she kept an ear out for any mistakes on Onyx's part, ready to make good on her promise of knocking him down from his perch. To her slight annoyance, he didn't screw up on the first song, but then she shrugged, there was a long night ahead of them.

Zelda sighed as she spotted Tyrsten moving through the crowds towards her. She was expected to dance, but she would have preferred to do it with somebody she at least knew. The boy was a total stranger to her – she didn't even know any rumors about him, seeing as she didn't listen to rumor. Even so, she accepted his invitation to dance, finding that dancing was one thing that she could like about him, even if he was Tyrell's son.

Tyrell smiled into her goblet as Zelda danced with her son, the interfering little wench had annoyed her to no end, it would be a great benefit to have Her Highness – Tyrell wouldn't call the queen Her Majesty at least until she was married – become her daughter-in-law. Not only would her son be on the council, allowing for another vote in her favor, but her grandchildren would be the most powerful people in the known world.

She smiled again, wider this time. The other suitors wouldn't be arriving for at least a few days, plenty of time for Tyrsten to get in good with Zelda, plenty of time indeed.

Zelda thanked the goddesses when the music ended and the food came out. Partly because she was famished, but mostly because her feet were sore. She grimaced at the sight of a sizzling Bullbos near the head of the table, and suppressed a groan. No doubt the cooks had done better than the Bulbins had, but even so, she'd had enough of the giant pigs to last her a lifetime. She was happy with her position at the head of the table – it meant that nobody could sit directly next to her, which would have really been annoying.

_On the other hand,_ she thought, feeling more than seeing or hearing Kyro move behind her protectively, _People can still get behind me without much trouble. Ah well, at least it's not Tyrsten. I don't have anything against him, but even so, I don't like people who try to butt their way into power. If anything, I'd prefer people who didn't want power, but are loyal enough to take it. They wouldn't abuse it at least._

As dinner progressed, Zelda let the tide of conversation flow over her, nodding and speaking only when necessary. One thing she did appreciate about the meal was that she learned a great deal about Tyrsten. Or more accurately, she learned that she _really didn't like him._ He was rude to the servant girls, more than once making hints as to what he'd like to see them do behind closed doors. She prevented herself from scooting her throne away from him in revulsion with some difficulty, wondering if she could diplomatically refuse to dance with him after eating, or if she should just have Kyro kick him out of the palace. He _had _threatened to throw Tyrell out, surely he would toss out Tyrell's son if she told him to.

An idea came to her and she held a smile down, maybe there _was _a way to avoid dancing with him, and also knock Kyro off balance at the same time. It was always good to throw him out of his comfort zone, and what she had planned should do quite nicely.

Kyro made his way back to the pillar as the servants moved the table aside for more dancing and other social interactions, but he was stopped by a word from Zelda. He turned around slowly, "I beg your pardon Your Majesty, could you repeat that? Slowly?"

Zelda smiled innocently, "Would you care to dance Kyro?" She said, making sure to enunciate each word clearly. She smiled widely, making Kyro quite certain that she was holding her insides with laughter.

He sighed softly, glancing up to where the others were concealed and making a small motion for them to get going before closing his eyes and swallowing hard. _This is going to go badly, in a very, very, big way._

He stepped forwards and accompanied his friend down the steps, drawing glances from nobles, and a glare of barely suppressed rage from Tyrsten and his mother. _Ah, so _that's _why she wants me to dance with her, she can't take any more of that stuck-up noble. Still, she could have done something a little nicer, like asked me to throw him out of a tower. That's something I can do quite well. _

He muttered softly, "You can be very cruel sometimes, you know that Zelda?"

The queen replied just as softly, "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I thought I was doing a great job at being nice in my reign."

He avoided sending her a glare as they reached the dance floor, "You know that's not what I meant. When—"

He stopped talking as the music began, a slow pace – apparently his friends were being nice to him – and concentrated mainly on not screwing up as much as he could. As the dances progressed, he found himself – much to his surprise – moving smoothly in time to the music, and not running into people as he'd expected to.

Then his 'friends' decided to be total jerks, and their voices picked up with their instruments.

_On the road, _

_Far from home,_

_Forever do we roam,_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh,_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh_

Kyro resisted the urge to aim his middle finger skyward and instead found comfort in the idea of slowly and painfully killing the three jerks who seemed intent on making the night a living night_mare_ for him.

_In the deep,_

_And the dark,_

_We'll go far,_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh,_

_oh-oh-oh-oh_

_Well come on then,_

_Fight for the win,_

_Oh-oh-oh,_

_Near journey's end,_

_Home again,_

_Oh-oh-oh_

The song seemed to go on forever, but it finally finished, most of the dancers panting slightly, a combination of wine and fast-paced dancing equating to an easy workout. Zelda looked up at him, "I thought you said you were a bad dancer?" Then her brow furrowed in confusion, "When did you get taller than me?"

Kyro chuckled, "Well . . . oh damn and blast."

An all too familiar black spot was moving smoothly up through the air, joined by more and more until the people around them faded like fog on a summer morning. Zelda looked around and said an unladylike word herself, then, "What's caused this?"

Onyx was almost flat out laughing at Kyro's predicament as the Sheikahn was led down to the dance floor by the Queen, and he signaled to the others to start slow, then become total jerks as the night progressed.

Kyro was really going to hate them later.

_Oh well,_ Onyx thought, _if he wants to kill anyone, it would have to be Zelda, since the three of us just go along with her wishes. She's the one he's dancing with, not me. _He tracked the duo with his eyes while he played, comparing Kyro to the semi-drunk nobles around him. Without the semi-drunk part, he doubted Kyro would be any better than any of them, but with the amount of alcohol most of them had been taking, he was about as good as they were. At least he was managing to stay on his feet.

He looked down again and signaled to the others to pick up the pace a bit, as the three of them lifted their voices in song.

_I wonder how badly he wants to kill us right now. A lot, that's for certain. Anyhow, that's not something I'll have to – wait, what's that? _Onyx's eyes widened as the Twilight particles started rising around him, and his head jerked back down to watch as Kyro and Zelda disappeared . . . again. _Oh for the love of the goddesses will we ever get past this? Now we'll be looking for them until this stops, again. Byril is going to hurt someone, badly. I just hope it isn't me._

The three of them shinnied down the pillars to ground level, moving easily through the panicked crowds to the edge, and from there, they moved over to the passages leading up to Zelda's study. That's where they'd found the missing pair last time, so it stood to reason that's where they'd be this time.

Kyro and Zelda moved quickly through the crowd of spirits, ducking past a steadily moving line covering most of the hall – most likely Sheikah looking for them. The two of them stopped when they reached her throne scanning the hall for any sign of a Bulbin or Shadow Beast. Then Kyro turned to Zelda, "Whatever this is, it probably isn't caused by Midna, which means that they're most likely on their way back here to talk. In which case, they'll look for us in your study, so that's where you should be."

Zelda nodded, and then realized what he'd said, "Wait, that's where _I'll _be? Where are you going?"

Kyro glanced back at the fiery hall, "I'm going to the Spirit's Spring, to see if something's happened. I have a hunch that this is connected to the Light Spirit living there."

Zelda nodded, giving a last look over the hall as she turned to the door to her study.

"Wait."

She turned back at Kyro's voice, seeming to echo in the dim chamber, "What do you – Oh. That's interesting."

The particles had stopped rising, candles flickering back to life and people returning to physical form as the Twilight rescinded. Zelda glanced once at Kyro as people kept streaming out the doors before anyone realized they'd returned. She glanced at Kyro, moving up to her study at his nod while he moved down into the crowd to restore some semblance of order.

Kyro slipped through the rapidly dwindling crowd looking for any of the Masters, or someone who seemed to be in charge. _Speak of the devils, and they will appear._ He thought he saw the six of them grouped near the entrance, sending out groups of Sheikah to scour the palace. He caught Tyarn's eye and she nodded, sending one more group out as he reached them.

The woman wasted little time, "Where is Her Majesty? Why isn't she with you?"

Kyro considered waving the question aside, but decided it wouldn't take long, "I told her to get to her study, she should be safe there. More importantly, I think it would be wise to evacuate the castle, if the Twilight creatures are coming back, it would be smart to get the civilians out before they arrive."

Tyarn and the others nodded, splitting apart and calling out orders to the Sheikah to – as he heard Tyarn yell – "_Get this castle clear now, before I lose it with this world!"_

Kyro nodded in satisfaction, quickly moving towards Zelda's study as the Triforce flashed brightly. Getting there was easier said than done, the crowd had thickened with servants and soldiers clearing the grounds, many of them shouting in panic. He caught a brief glimpse of Kastay carrying Mary, and Kunai moving along at his father's side, as well as his friends escorting the Elders to the doors, but he had no time to stop, a bad feeling was building in the pit of his stomach. One thing a Sheikah was trained to trust, no matter what, was to trust their feelings.

It seemed like hours – probably because it was – before he reached the stairwell. He paused a moment to catch his breath before throwing the door wide and racing up the stairs, his _Zelda's in trouble _beacon flashing brighter and brighter as he ascended.

Zelda entered her study and shivered, it was as cold as it had been during her stay. She went to the corner and swung the cloak hanging there around her shoulders, pulling up the hood and wishing she had a fire as she waited for Kyro in the shadows.

Midna nearly fell off of Link as he jumped down from the window and into the tower, moving as quickly as he could toward the room Zelda had occupied during the Twilight occupation. She didn't have any hope of seeing her realm again; she just wanted to know that Link would be able to deal with Zant after she wasn't able to help him. As the door opened, her heart sank at the sight of the empty room, and she lost her light grip on Link's fur. She saw him turn to her through a half-closed eye, and she really wished that at the very least, she'd been able to see his actual face again. She shuddered and let her eye shut, she was feeling tired, and she could almost hear the voices of her parents calling to her, voices she hadn't heard in an age.

Her eye opened as a human hand fell on her shoulder, and hope filled her again. Maybe she couldn't see Link's human form again, but she could make sure he did. She spoke, her voice barely over a whisper, "How . . . how can Link . . . break the curse over him?" She raised a hand, and Zelda took it in both of hers before reaching over to wave the Triforce over him.

Zelda's voice was low, and filled with sadness, she'd liked Midna, even though the Imp had often made fun of her, "The power that holds him in this state is a different one that first turned him to a beast. This is an evil power, and one that will not yield lightly." She paused for a moment, searching her mind for the legends swirling about the master sword, "But our world is one of balance, there is light to drive out the dark, just as there is benevolence to banish evil." She looked the Wolf in the eyes, seeing a deep rooted sadness there. Then her voice returned, "In the sacred grove, deep within the Faron woods, there is a weapon that can free you. The Blade of Evil's Bane lies there, forged by the sages in a time before our ken. That blade, the Master Sword, is sacred, to the point where no evil power can touch it. Find it, and you will be free from your curse."

Her gaze dropped back to Midna as the Imp spoke again, "Okay, Link . . . you can reach it alone . . . right?" She didn't wait for confirmation from the wolf, needing one last thing from Hyrule's queen, "Zelda, can you . . . tell him where to find . . . the Mirror of Twilight?" It was more a request than question, but it was one Zelda was unable to help with. She knew the legends of course; it was just that they did not divulge the Mirror's location.

Instead, she decided to help them in another manner, "Midna, I think now I know who you are, and what you are. Your injuries are a result of these dark times created by our mistakes, and yet you still act to help us." Zelda paused as footsteps sounded outside, and she finished quickly, knowing who would be on the other side, "Accept this now Midna, I give it to you freely."

Kyro opened the door as Zelda began pouring energy into Midna's damaged form. He let out a cry of shock and fear, and put his hand on Zelda's shoulder to pull her away from the imp, but a blast of power flung him back into the door, which he slid down into a crumpled heap, helpless to do anything but watch as his Queen and friend transferred her life force to the Twili who had given so much to them. As she faded into the air, he let out a frustrated yell and let his head fall into his hands, his shoulders wracked with sobs. He didn't notice as Midna pulled herself up onto her steed, "Kyro, we should go." Her soft voice pulled him out of the grave of sorrow he was digging for himself. He nodded and pushed himself slowly into a standing position as Midna prepared to warp them. Before she did, she glanced back at the spot where Zelda had disappeared, "I've taken all that you had to give Zelda, even though I didn't want it. Thank you, I guess, and we will be back."

A moment later, they vanished in a cloud of black particles.

Kyro felt as though he was in the middle of a Goron Sumo match. The air was ripped from his lungs and he was squeezed on all sides as the three of them traveled through space to an unknown destination, and to be frank, it really sucked.

When they landed in Hyrule field, he collapsed to his knees and sucked in air, desperately filling his deflated lungs. After he felt normal, he stood up and glared at Midna, locking his sorrow down somewhere deep within himself, "I hope we're planning to walk to the grove."

Midna and the Wolf looked at each other, and then back at him, shaking their heads. If wolves could smile, then this one was, evilly. The trio turned to look at the castle as light flared from it, generated by a massive diamond shape, completely cutting it off from the rest of the world. Midna clenched a fist, then calmed herself with an effort. Kyro closed his eyes and turned away, the majestic castle that had been his home looked now to be nothing more than a place of sorrowful failure to him.

His eyes were still closed when he was sucked up into the teleportation, and he made a mental note to kill Midna when they arrived.

Kyro landed softly on the hard ground, the sounds of birds and other wildlife nearby making him quite sure they were in fact, in Faron woods. But then another sound occurred, one that did not belong anywhere in a forest. The clattering of some sort of . . . something. He opened his eyes and whipped his chain out, taking care not to behead Midna where she was perched on her little wolf, tempting though it was. He turned and flung his chain towards a group of . . . puppets? Wooden puppets with giant, nasty, sharp looking claws, joy. Kyro sighed slightly and went to work, snapping his chain around joints and yanking hard seemed to put the creatures down fairly well, and he had enough anger bottled up to make sure he broke them.

Midna watched in fascination and horror as Kyro utterly crushed the group of manikins, Link had barely moved before the Sheikah boy had wiped out the whole force. Then her gaze turned to the creature they had pursued, the monkey that had stolen Link's lantern to help them through the Twilight mists.

As Link communicated with the little thing, she floated over to Kyro as he coiled his chain, laying a small hand on his shoulder, "Got it all out of your system?" She asked in a sympathetic tone, trying to mend the rift she could feel had grown between them.

Kyro glared at her, and she moved a few feet away before he answered, "Not by a long shot. Not until she's back."

Midna cast her gaze to the ground, "I didn't ask her to sacrifice herself for me, nor did I expect her to. I went to her in the hope that she could break Link's curse, and point him in the right direction. Now I just hope that we can beat Zant and bring her back with the magic he stole from us."

Kyro took a deep breath and looked up, "I guess we've got a long haul in front of us then. Zant won't make this easy for us." Then his gaze fell back to the imp, "I hope you can make good on that promise. If we don't get her back . . ." he left the sentence hang as Link approached them.

Midna took her usual spot on Link's back, "Yeah yeah I know, you'll dismember me."

Kyro nodded, "Slowly, and _very _painfully."

Midna snorted, "I think painfully goes with dismemberment, not separate." She leaned down as Link swept his head towards her, "Link says the monkey told him that there's another part of the forest past the cliffs, I'm guessing that's the grove we need. Can you get there? Or will you need a ride?"

Kyro scoffed, pulling his chain back out, "Watch and learn." He ran up the trail a little ways, then jumped over the side, whipping his chain around a branch and using it as a swing to bring himself into the tunnel leading to the sacred grove. He dropped a Deku nut to scare off a couple of bats, then turned back to the entrance as Midna arrived, gesturing with her hair to Link before flipping onto his back as he landed. Kyro raised his eyes, slightly impressed in spite of himself, "I didn't realize wolves could jump so far."

Link looked at him and growled softly, as if to say, "_You've got no idea kid."_

Kyro looked around as he entered the sacred grove proper, Link had stopped to howl at some sort of boulder, and Kyro had gone ahead to 'scout the area'. In truth, he just wanted a little time alone with his thoughts, but that was not to happen, as Link ran past him into the clearing, Midna yanking an ear to turn him towards another one of the whistling boulders. After a moment, Link sat back and howled, his 'voice' rising and falling.

Kyro sighed, then started forward before a little straw puppet-doll-thing dropped out of the trees in front of him, blowing leaves from a little trumpet and running through what had previously been solid wood as more of the puppet – apparently minions – things dropped down between it and Kyro. The Sheikahn sighed and pulled out some weapons, he felt like stabbing something more than cutting them down with a long metal string, and he hoped the creatures wouldn't be too much of a disappointment.

Link whirled and slashed at another of the puppets, turning back to the demon-child that kept summoning them, trusting the Sheikah to keep the minions off of his back. He rushed at the horn blower and slammed into him, knocking him off of his little rock before pinning him to the ground with a forepaw.

The demon-child grinned, and a voice sounded in Link's head as the little thing warped out from beneath his paws, "_Thanks for playing! You were fun, so I guess I'll show you a really cool and secret place!"_

Link turned at Midna's tug on his ear to a new gap where a brick wall had once been. He ran through after Kyro, and nearly ran the boy over on the other side, where he had stopped in amazement. Link looked around, taking in the ruined walls, and the massive statues at the far end of the clearing. As he went to take a closer look at them, he heard a faint whistling, emanating from the ground nearby.

Kyro turned as Link began to howl, and his eyes narrowed as he recognized the song he played for Zelda to help her sleep. Then they widened in shock as the guardian statues past the wolf began to glow, and then stamped their staffs against the ground. He started to go over to them, but was held back by an unseen force as a chasm opened up in front of him, a series of platforms holding Link and the statues from oblivion. The statues vanished, and reappeared near Link, who then began jumping; one statue was following him, the other going the opposite direction.

Link disappeared several times, each time reappearing on his original position, the statues doing the same. Eventually though, Link managed to get them back where they started, which was apparently the solution to some sort of test. The guardians turned back to face them, and slammed their staffs back into the ground, recreating the ground and letting Kyro forward. As the wall behind them faded away, Link and Kyro walked past them, watching the golden behemoths warily.

They ascended the stairs and Link automatically surged forward, causing Midna to lose her grip and fall from his back. As she regained her dignity, a flash of light blasted out from a sword, knocking Kyro off of his feet and making Midna cry out in what sounded like terror. After Kyro's eyes recovered, he saw a different form, one definitely not lupine, and dressed in what looked like the Hero's Tunic, complete with chain mail and Hylian Shield. Kyro blinked and rubbed his eyes some more, not fully believing that the Wolf was the Hero of Time reborn. He walked forward with Midna as Link gave the Master Sword a firm yank, pulling it out of its pedestal and placing it in a regal-looking sheath that shimmered into existence on his back.

Midna was first to speak, levitating a small Twilight crystal from the ground at Link's feet, "Well, looks like the sword likes you." She smirked as Link turned around, apparently having forgotten they were there. Midna gestured to the crystal above her hand, "We should probably destroy this thing, it doesn't really belong in this world." She pretended to give it some thought, "On the other hand, Zant was kind enough to provide us with it, so maybe we should use it ourselves, it could be very useful." At Link's nod, she continued, "Yeah, we should definitely use it, it's a good idea."

Link turned to Kyro, but the Sheikah spoke before he could, "If you're about to tell me to go home, my home is currently surrounded by a glowing evil diamond. Besides, you'll need me to get to the Mirror of Twilight."

Link raised an eyebrow, "So you know where it is?"

Kyro hesitated, "Well, yes . . . but I'm afraid I can't tell you." He jumped back before Link could hit him, "Hey! I would tell you, but I'm a Sheikah. What I know about the Mirror is full of myths and legends." He hesitated again, "Besides, it's in a place sacred to my people. We don't just go around telling strangers where our temples are."

Midna looked at him sarcastically, "I'm a total stranger? We've known each other for how long?"

Kyro rolled his eyes, "About two months, you've told me practically nothing about your past and the only thing I know for sure about you is that Zant wants you dead. Sorry, but I'd need more to go on than that to divulge the Mirror's location."

Link sighed, "Fine, I'm not even going to try to get you to tell me now." He took a deep breath and looked to the sky, thinking hard, "I guess we could try talking to Telma, see if she can help us."

Midna nodded, "Her little group might have something. I say we do it. We should go now though, every second we waste is another lessening in the chance we can bring Zelda back."

Kyro groaned, "You mean we're warping again, don't you."

Midna didn't even give him a 'yeah' to prepare himself.

End of Chapter Nine

**Ha ha! So there it is guys! Leave a review or I'll find someone to send after you. Possibly the sages. Or Telma. Either/or.**

**Okay, so I'm trying to get a 'theme' for all of my OC's. The list of Characters is on my profile page, and if you have a song in mind for any of them, leave a review with the song's name. The top five songs will be posted in three weeks, and the top song will be posted in four. The person who recommended the top song will get a shout out and the song they suggested will be posted to the character they suggested.**


	10. Times Gone By

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Ten

Times Gone By

Kyro sucked in air as they landed, either it got better, or Link's wolf form handled warping better than Kyro could. A dim light shone as dots resembling Twilight particles pulled away from Link and into his shadow with Midna. He helped the other boy to his feet, grunting slightly with the effort, "Jeez, how do you walk in that stuff?" He asked, gesturing to Link's chainmail and assorted weaponry.

The Ordonian shrugged, "You get used to it. Now then, are you going to help me find the temple, or am I on my own?"

Kyro shook his head, "I'll be on the bridge leading to the castle when you find it. If it takes you more than two days, meet me at Lake Hylia, the spirit's spring."

Midna came out of Link's shadow, "So the temple is near Lake Hylia? We've already been through the lakebed temple, and it's not there."

Kyro nodded, "Look, just stick to that timetable, alright? Two days, I'll be at Hylia. Until then, I'll be on the drawbridge."

He ran into town before they could respond, blending into the crowds as easily as he did the shadows. He moved quickly to the area outside Telma's bar, then scrambled up the wall and knocked on a wooden door with the sigil of the Sheikah. A panel slid back and Kyro pulled his mask up to show his brand, and the door opened. One of the Shadowmoon warriors greeted him, then sat on a chair next to the door, "They're expecting you Kyro. I suggest you hurry."

Kyro gulped and moved into the passages, stopping a little over halfway down and tapping a discolored stone twice, then sketched the eternal eye above it. A section of brickwork swung back, revealing steps behind it. Kyro moved forwards and down, the air growing chilly as he made his way to the Master's chamber. The six of them looked up as he entered, then returned their gaze to a map spread out on the table before them. As Kyro approached, he could see it was a complete – a very complete – map of the castle and the town immediately around it. A large square was drawn in around the castle, defining the boundaries of the barrier blocking entry. Lareng stepped over to the wall as a scroll fell into a small niche. Unrolling it, he stepped back to the table and put an X over another of the tunnels leading into it.

He sighed, "That was the last one. It's official, the castle is completely sealed off. Not even the deepest of our tunnels was below the barrier." His gaze turned to Kyro, "Where have you been?"

Kyro sighed and waited a moment before responding, "I was carrying out Zelda's orders."

The Masters straightened in surprise, and Tyarn spoke with joy, "Really? She escaped the castle? Well where is she? It would be invaluable to have her here with us, the tribes are low on moral for obvious reasons."

Kyro let his eyes close and dropped his head, not wanting to say the words, but he knew that he had to.

"Zelda . . . Her Majesty is . . ." He paused, then told them the truth, just not all of it, "She didn't make it out. She gave me an order before our attempt to escape, just in case she couldn't later, but . . . I didn't . . . I never expected . . ." Kyro fell to his knees and put his head in his hands, a sob wracking his shoulders.

Byril shot Tyarn a 'nice going' look, then moved to his brother, placing an arm around his shoulders. He helped Kyro to his feet, shooting another glare at Tyarn, then took his brother out of the room, trying to comfort him. As they made their way up the stairs, Kyro's hands fell away from his face, revealing tears forming and falling almost as fast. Byril helped his brother through the twists and turns of the passages to the sleeping quarters, setting him down into the bed set for him and Kastay. He pulled a blanket over Kyro's still form and placed a hand on his shoulder, then returned to the Masters chamber.

Mary poked her head in through the door, left ajar by her father's exit a few minutes earlier. She toddled inside, followed by Kurai. Kyro's sobs had subsided, giving way to simply crying. He barely heard the movement, but heard it enough to dry his eyes and turn over to see his niece and nephew approaching him. He pushed the blanket back and sat up, picking up Mary as she struggled to scale the wooden frame. He placed her in his lap as Kurai hopped up, letting his legs dangle over the side. The three of them were quiet for a while, then Kurai spoke up, wanting to know what had happened.

"Dad said that you ordered the evacuation, he said that you're the reason any of us are alive. Is that true?"

Kyro sighed and nodded slowly, blinking back tears from his bloodshot eyes, "Yeah. It was more a feeling than anything solid, but we all know to trust our feelings, don't we?"

Kurai nodded, adjusting his mask with a small sigh, "Do you ever get used to wearing this? Mom's drags me back inside every other day for forgetting it. Why do we even use it?"

Kyro thought a moment, "Yeah, you'll get used to it. Some people grow accustomed to it more quickly than others, but we all get it after a while. Just watch, one day you'll wake up and learn that you forgot it was there the night before. As to why we wear them . . . it's tradition more than anything, although it does help add to the mystery of our people. It's good to maintain the illusion that we know everything, and it's also good to keep things impersonal between us and our employers. It's our job to defend them, with our lives if necessary. If we're killed on the job, the mask makes sure that our employer isn't overcome with any emotion that might prevent them from escaping whatever threatens them."

Kurai may have been young, but that just meant he enjoyed teasing more than he would later, "So if you were to die defending Zelda, she wouldn't say . . . be too overcome by grief to get away?"

Kyro didn't laugh like Kunai had expected, instead he seemed to deflate a little, and close his eyes. Mary caught the action as well, and touched his hand, "Kyro okay?" She asked, her small voice seeming to echo in the silent room.

Kyro looked down at her, "Yeah, yeah, Kyro's okay." He gently lifted her and deposited her in Kurai's arms, "Keep an eye on her, I've got to go and . . . handle some things. I'll try to stop by when I get back, but I'm not sure when that will be."

He swung himself off the bed and left the room without a word or a glance back, he didn't want them to see him cry again. He caught a passing Sheikah and got directions to where he could find the Shadowstar rooms. Making his way there, he kept his head down and stayed to the side, not wanting to talk to anyone. When he reached his destination, he found an empty room that was marked with the Triforce – each Sheikah chose an identifying symbol, his was pretty obvious – and flopped down into the bed. He didn't allow himself much rest though, he had to pack his things. Moving to the wardrobe, he thanked the ancient Sheikah who'd made this place, setting down an unspoken law that there should be a few changes of clothes for any and all weather conditions.

He snatched a satchel from the floor and stuffed everything he could fit into it. He fit a couple of extra masks, replacing the tearstained one he was wearing with a fresh one. Hesitating a moment, he took a knife and sliced off the upper half of each one he would be taking, marking him as a lone eye, a Sheikah who was making an attempt to make amends for a past failure. He made his way through the corridors – thankfully – without running into any other Sheikah. It was bad enough becoming a lone eye, having to deal with the sympathetic looks the others would give him would have made it unbearable. He entered the final hallway and his heart plummeted, the guard had changed, and now it was someone he recognized.

The new sentinel was Onyx.

Kyro sighed as his friend stood, his eyes widening as he took in the missing half of Kyro's mask, "Kyro . . ." he started.

Kyro held up a hand, "It was my choice, not the elders, not the masters. I failed to protect Zelda, and so I chose to become a lone eye until I feel my honor is restored. If you're going to try and stop me . . ." he let the sentence hang, not wanting to actually threaten his old friend.

Onyx sighed, "Fine, but I will be telling the Masters, and Byril is going to have a fit when he finds out. Still, it's better if you're far away when that happens, so I'll give you a couple of days to get on your mission." He shoved the door open, giving Kyro a salute as he passed, "Goddesses guide you."

Kyro paused just outside as the rain began to fall, "May they guide us all." He jumped away from the ledge, landing softly on the cobblestones beneath it. He checked around before crossing into the bar, wanting to have a word with Telma before anything happened.

As the door swung shut behind him, he felt as though every eye in the bar was turning to him. He walked to the bar where Telma was wiping a rag over a recent spill. She looked up at him as she tossed the rag over her shoulder into a sink, "Well well, who do we have here? It's been a while Kyro."

The boy smiled, "Hello Telma. What's the word around town?"

The barmaid sighed, "Bad, bad, and worse. Which would you like to hear?"

Kyro shrugged, "All of it. I'm not picky."

Telma nodded, "Okay then. People are scared, is what it really is. First the weirdness of those particles, and now no one can get into the castle. Fingers are being pointed Kyro, I think you can guess at who."

Kyro sighed, "People are blaming us, aren't they? They'd already assumed we were dark magicians due to our . . . talents, but now . . ."

Telma sighed, "Anyway, my little group is going around investigating now. Auru went off to Lake Hylia to investigate some rumor of a cursed mirror up in the desert. Come to think of it, a few minutes ago, a friend of mine named Link came by asking about a mirror. I pointed him towards Auru, and he went off like a storm. It's a shame really, first he helps that girl Ilia move the Zora boy down to Kakariko to get help, and she doesn't even know him. Now he's going off looking for ancient mirrors. I hope he'll be okay."

Kyro nodded, "If he helped you through Hyrule fields, then he can handle the desert. Sorry we couldn't be of more assistance with the Zora, we're pretty loaded down investigating . . . pretty much everything right now. Oh well. We do our best to keep the roads safe, sometimes it seems like that's all we can do."

A shudder wracked his body as he looked down, and Telma suddenly realized that he was doing everything he could to keep his emotions in check. Her expression softened from casual to one that a mother uses to comfort her son, "What happened Kyro?" When Kyro didn't respond, she set a hand on his shoulder, speaking quietly, "Did something happen to Zelda?"

Kyro didn't look up, but slumped a bit more and gave a slight nod. Telma drew in a sharp breath, "Oh no, she – she didn't make it out of the castle, did she?"

Kyro desperately blinked back tears, a Sheikah breaking down in the middle of a bar would not be good for their sense of authority and mystique. He shook his head and stood suddenly, making for the door before he _did _start crying. As he exited the small building and came out from under the cover it provided, he lifted his head to the heavens and let the rain roll across his skin. He opened his eyes and moved away, walking at first, but then was overcome with certain urgency. He started sprinting towards the castle, dodging out of the way of angry vendors and soldiers who were too slow to get out of the way. He ran up the steps and up the rise leading to the castle.

When he reached the doors, he leaned against them for a moment before shoving one open, just enough to slip through. He fell back against it and pushed a bit to move it shut, then walked forward to the great barrier between him and the castle. He raised a hand, and hesitantly placed it against the barrier. He yanked it back as energy crackled and stung it, his eyes going wide. He sighed, and moved over to one side to await Link's arrival.

He had to wait quite some time.

While he waited, he pulled his mask off, letting rain stream down his face. He stood and boosted himself up onto the rail he was leaning against to avoid sitting in a puddle, kicking his feet against the wooden beams below him. Unbidden and undesired, childhood memories of times spent with Zelda flashed through his mind.

_Zelda was moving away from him, laughing as he ran after her. He swung up into a tree and waited for her to come back around. As she approached, he grinned to himself – she looked tired. She reached his tree and put a hand against it as she sucked in breath. She looked back along the circular path around the royal gardens and laughed again, "I guess I won this time, huh Kyro?" She brushed off her leather leggings – she despised dresses of any kind – and took another breath._

_Kyro dropped from the tree as she pushed away from it, coming up quietly behind her. He tapped her shoulder, "Gotcha Zelda!" he cried, then released her and backed quickly away._

_His friend stifled a shriek and spun around to face him, "Oh you little!" She lunged at him and he jumped back against the tree, then spun away and started to run again as she chased after him, "I'm gonna get you Ky!"_

_Kyro laughed, turning around and running backwards to face her, "Well to 'get me', you'll have to catch me! Try to keep up!"_

_Zelda's eyes widened and she stopped running, "Kyro behind you! The hedge!"_

_Kyro laughed, "Right, like I'm gonna fall for—" He was cut off by his heel slipping on a root, and then he fell backwards into a carefully groomed hedge. He struggled in it for a moment before wriggling up and sticking his head out the top, a couple of leaves stuck in his hair, "I'm okay!"_

_Zelda laughed and ran up as he wriggled through the small tunnel he'd made, crawling out of the leaves as she reached him. She offered a hand to him and he took it, pulling himself to his feet before he'd realized what she'd just done. Zelda ran away again, "Told you I'd get you!"_

_Kyro's eyes rolled, "Oh come on, how is that fair? You were helping me up! That isn't a tag."_

_Zelda stopped running on the other side of the path and turned back to him, "Oh really? I thought a tag was just putting a hand on the other person. What would you call it?"_

_Kyro hesitated, "Okay, you got me there." He ran after her as she resumed her flight, both of them laughing as hard as their winded lungs would allow._

Kyro smiled, he and Zelda had been about nine years old at that point, before her duties had pulled her away. He'd started training at that point, nothing major, just working out and becoming wiry like the rest of the Sheikah. Elder Shie had been alive then, watching the two of them run after each other and occasionally warning Zelda to speed up, or advising her on where to hide for him to come by. His smile faded as a darker memory surfaced, less welcome than Zant had been.

_Kyro sat on top of the southwestern tower, his arms and legs wrapped around the spire and gazing out towards the great Lake that provided most of Hyrule's water. He heard Zelda's voice, "Hey, Ky! Can I come up there with you?"_

_Kyro was quick to reply, knowing that she was probably already starting to make her way up, "No." He said shortly, then winced. It had come out colder than he'd expected._

_Kyro could hear the sadness and hurt in her voice, "Why not? Because I'm a girl?" Zelda sounded more hurt than she should have, and Kyro suspected he knew the reason for it._

_Kyro sighed, "It's not 'cause you're a girl Zel, the only way to be up here safely is to do what I'm doing, and there's no room for another person up here."_

_Zelda's voice still sounded hurt, "Okay, I get it. I'll leave you alone."_

_Kyro maneuvered so he was facing the castle as she went back into the servant's passage that led back inside. It only existed so that servants could get up to the roof if they needed an eagle or messenger pigeon. Kyro let go of the spire and slid down, not wanting to let her go feeling angry at him. He caught up just as she was about to go inside, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, you know I didn't mean that. I was just—"_

_Zelda whirled on him, knocking his hand from his shoulder, "Just what Kyro? You were just What?! Ever since you got that mask, you've been acting weird. You barely talk to me any more, you barely even see me anymore. And now when I come out here to talk to you, you brush me off like I'm a beetle on your boot!" She almost slapped him, but she could see that her words had had the desired effect. The mask may have covered most of his face, but it couldn't cover the hurt in his eyes._

_Kyro swallowed before responding, "I was just trying to protect you. If you'd come up there with me, then the chances of both of us falling to our deaths would have been pretty high. You probably would have fallen trying to get ahold of the spire, I would have let go to catch you, and then we'd both have fallen. I can tell that you aren't concerned with that however, so I guess we'll see each other later." He brushed past her back into the palace, running down the stone steps and into one of the passages snaking through the castle walls. He came out of the wall in front of a servant and ran into his room, barely slowing to apologize for nearly running the man over. _

_He slammed the door behind him and threw the bolt to keep it shut. Yanking his mask off, he threw it to the side, then collapsed onto the bed. He buried his face in his pillow and began to cry, ignoring the knocks on the door and impassioned pleas he could hear for him to come out so they could talk it over. The pleas turned to requests, then demands, and then the door shuddered as Zelda kicked it. Kyro heard a stifled shriek and assumed she was clutching her foot, but that just made him feel worse. He heard Zelda talking to someone on the other side – yelling at them would be a more appropriate term – and then he heard footsteps leading away from his door._

_He let himself fall apart for a few more minutes, then pulled himself together and sat up, glaring at the strip of cloth that made up the mask of every Sheikah. Until now, he'd worn it proudly, feeling like he was part of something bigger than himself. Now however, he felt like it was a team of diggers making a trench between him and Zelda, digging it deeper and wider all of the time, separating him from his best friend. He sniffed once, then stood and moved over to where the mask had fallen on the floor. He didn't put it on, just tossed it unceremoniously onto his small desk and moved to the chest near his bed. Opening it, he pulled out his harp and sat back on the bed. He didn't sing for the same reason he hadn't grabbed his pipes, he didn't trust his feelings to let his breath roll smoothly._

Kyro let a sigh roll away from him, that had been the first and least of several fights he and Zelda had had over the years. His new duties as a Sheikah had drawn him away from her, and her duties as the heir to Hyrule had forced her to attend some meetings of the council, take lessons on how to be a queen instead of a tomboy princess. Neither of them had enjoyed the process, and they both dealt with it in different ways. Kyro had usually gone down to the arena to use the punching bags there, but Zelda didn't have anything to take her frustration out on. So, she tended to yell at him whenever they did manage to talk. Looking back, she'd admitted that she'd been angry over silly things, but at the time, it had seemed reasonable to both of them. That fight was one of the worst they'd had; they had barely looked at each other for days, and hadn't spoken to each other for nearly a month after.

Kyro rubbed a hand over his eyes, it seemed to him that whenever things got bad for him, memories like that showed up, boosting his mood from unhappy to numb. The third memory to surface was unexpected, and much, _much_ more welcome than the last.

_Zelda flopped back onto her bed, looking worn out from the events of the past few weeks. Her duties as Crown Princess had all but doubled since she'd taken on just a small portion of her father's work. She didn't understand how her father could do so much and yet still appear so composed at all times. She didn't look up as the door opened, knowing who it would be. At least, she thought she did._

_She sighed, "Hello father. Is everything all right?"_

_She sat up abruptly as Kyro's voice came in the place of the one she'd expected, "Well, apart from the fact that you're obviously missing sleep, yes, everything's all right."_

_Zelda glared at the boy, "Can't you leave me alone for a while? I don't feel like talking to you."_

_Kyro shrugged, "You haven't felt like talking to me for the past week. I get that you enjoy your alone time, but that seems like a bit much for even you Princess."_

_Zelda glared some more, then stood up and moved to the window, turning her back to him, "What do you want Kyro? You made it very clear last time we spoke that you didn't want anything to do with me anymore. Hurry up and spit it out."_

_She heard the Sheikah boy sigh, "I was planning on asking if you wanted to go for a ride, but I can see that you're not wanting to do much of anything with me at the moment. Whatever." A sly grin crept onto his features beneath his mask, "I guess I could talk to your father, tell him that you elected not to go with me. It's a shame really, he seemed eager for you to get out and enjoy the sunshine before the weather turns ugly and you have to stay indoors. He even dismissed you from the council session today when I spoke to him, so that you'd have the time. Oh well, I guess I'm riding alone today. I guess I'll see you when I get back. Or not, whichever you prefer."_

_Zelda took a moment to consider as the doors shut. She and Kyro had been angry at each other last time they'd fought, and in reality, it was her who'd said she never wanted to see him again. She moved to her wardrobe and pulled out her riding outfit, changing out of the useless and senseless gown as quickly as she could. As she made her way down through the castle, she mentally cursed Kyro for knowing her so well, riding was one of the things she enjoyed most, next to archery and music._

_She made her way out to the stables to where Kyro was waiting with both of their horses saddled and ready. She could tell he was smiling from the laughter in his eyes as they swung up onto their mounts, trotting out through the back gate of the palace so they didn't have to ride through the town. Once outside of the walls, she caught a glance from Kyro before they simultaneously urged their mounts into a full out gallop, racing each other through the fields towards the Lake. _

_As she pulled ahead of him slightly, she could hear him laughing and clapping Jekahn into a faster stride. He pulled even with her, their horses plunging ahead of each other before rounding a corner and skidding to a halt. The teenagers were nearly thrown off and into the waiting arms of a band of Bulbin riders that were barring the way down to the lake. The horses trotted nervously as Kyro sized up the enemy. There were only a couple of Bullbos, but each was ridden by the standard pair of Bulbins. Kyro had his weapons with him – no Sheikah left home without them – but he was still just a trainee with no experience in an actual battle._

_As if hearing his thoughts, the Bullbos reared, then charged at the two of them. Kyro and Zelda neatly pirouetted their horses and set them galloping back up the path to the great bridge where there were friendly knights capable of assisting them. Kyro ducked as a  
flaming arrow whistled past his ear, instinctively pulling on Jekahn's reins and nearly crashing into Zelda. He regained control just in time, but while he did that, another arrow struck Zelda's horse in the flank._

_Zelda pitched forward over her mount's head as it went down underneath her, kicking her way clear of the stirrups and landing a few meters away from the ungainly heap her horse had fallen into. She stood up dizzily and staggered a moment before clearing her head and beginning to run up the path away from the Bulbins._

_It took Kyro a few moments to realize Zelda was no longer with him, and when he did, he yanked backwards on Jekahn's reins to pull his horse to a stop, turning and galloping back down the path towards where the Princess was sprinting away from her Bulbin pursuers. Zelda looked up as the sound of pounding hooves came towards her, grabbing Kyro's outstretched hand as he came by, and heaving herself into the saddle behind him. _

_Jekahn reared to a stop and Kyro flung a pair of his many knives at the creatures chasing them before galloping back away from them, bending low over his horse's neck and urging it to greater speeds. Zelda did look back at gasped when she saw the result of Kyro's throws. One of the knives had struck one of the directing Bulbins square between the eyes, the result of which was the Bullbos coming to a complete stop and waiting there for its other rider to scoot forwards to take the reins. The other knife had slammed into the other Bullbos itself, and was now lost in the tangled heap the boar had turned into._

_Zelda turned back and held on to Kyro tightly as the two of them rode back to the manned bridge, leaning into his back to avoid forcing Jekahn to slow down even a fraction. She closed her eyes, not wanting to watch the ground rush past, and putting her faith in Kyro not to screw up. _

_ As she heard the clatter of hooves on stone, and Kyro's voice yelling out orders, she realized just how much her mild-mannered friend had changed. At one point, he had been afraid to even look at a knight, now he was yelling at them in a tone that sounded like he expected to be obeyed. As her heartbeat slowed, she realized that there was something else she could hear, something that caused the flurry of activity on the bridge to cease._

_The ground was trembling._

_Zelda shrieked and tightened her hold on the boy in front of her as Jekahn accelerated into a gallop underneath her, then regained her dignity as Kyro slowed down at the end of the bridge nearest them. A hand patted hers, and she could hear Kyro struggling to speak, "Can't . . . breathe. Let . . . go . . . will you?"_

_Zelda immediately loosened her hold and slid off of the horse as Kyro heaved in a breath, then watched as he slid down himself and sprinted up into one of the towers. Zelda immediately followed him, and joined him at a railed ledge as he pointed to the cause of the rumbling. A horde of Bullbos was galloping towards them, led by a blue/grey boar with heavy looking armor. A standard of some sort was raised over the leader, and the two of them could hear shouts as the garrison clattered into readiness. Kyro pulled Zelda away from the rail as a group of archers came up the stairs, taking positions at the railing and each knocking an arrow._

_Kyro hurried outside and back down to where Jekahn was waiting patiently. He reached his horse and quickly stripped the saddlebags off of him, lightening the horse in case a quick escape was needed. He turned to Zelda, "I'd tell you to get going now, but I get the feeling you'd just ignore me. So instead I'm going to say this, if it looks like the knights are losing, you get on this horse and ride as fast for the castle as you can. If you don't, I'll just grab you and run. Got it?" He waited for Zelda's nod before climbing the stairs back to where the archers were._

_Instead of heading through the arch where the bowmen were, Kyro climbed up to the very top of the tower, looking down on the horde as it came closer and closer. He looked over to Zelda as she slipped her hand into his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Below them, they could hear the garrison begin to ride out, and the harsh twang of arrows leaving bows, return shots glancing off of the stone._

Kyro smiled faintly. That had happened four years ago now. It marked the end of the rough patch in his friendship with Zelda. It had also been the point where he'd started suspecting the true depth of his feelings for her, but at the time, he'd passed it off as the simple lust of a thirteen year old. As the years had passed and the feelings deepened, growing stronger instead of fading away, he'd figured out that it was actual love.

And that realization had frightened him.

He hadn't dared speak to Zelda about it, he'd barely talked to Byril about it, and his brother had helped as much as he could before teasing him mercilessly. Ever since that day, Kyro had watched every word he'd said to his friend. He _really _didn't want to do anything to make things . . . weird, between them.

He closed his eyes and sighed, he'd planned for any occurrence that might separate him from Zelda, kidnapping, injury, sickness, death, you name it, he'd considered it. Well, probably. One thing he _hadn't _considered was Zelda sacrificing herself to heal a mortally injured Twilight Imp who she barely knew. Pulling his knees up to his chest, he folded his arms across them and put his chin on his arms. Sighing again, he tilted his head so he could watch the gate for the Hero's arrival and promptly got bored.

He began to wind his mask back around his head as he boosted himself off of the rail. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since the banquet that _Stop thinking about that night Kyro. There's nothing you could have done to change what I did._

Kyro froze in his tracks, _Z-Zelda? Wha-How-Am I hearing things?_

He heard Zelda's giggle, _No, At least, I hope not. Give me a sec._

Kyro waited a moment, then leapt backwards with a yell of shock and dropping the mask as a semi-transparent figure drifted out away from him. The figure smiled, _Hello Kyro._

Kyro stepped forwards, reaching a hand out to Zelda. His fingers passed through her cheek as if she were made of smoke. "How are you here?" His voice was raw with emotion.

Zelda's spirit sighed, _I'm not sure exactly. Perhaps my portion of the Triforce reacted with yours when I transferred my life force to Midna. Maybe the goddesses put me here for some reason we can't comprehend. In any case, I'm here, so maybe I can help you. _Her arm lifted and she caressed Kyro's cheek, _it's been so long since I've seen your face, and not just the mask that covers it. You should leave it off more often._

Kyro blinked back tears as she continued, _I said I don't know _how _I'm here, or why exactly. All I know is that when you started thinking about our childhood, it brought enough of me back to enable me to manifest in this form._

Kyro realized why she seemed like smoke, it was because she was made of it. The smoke from the torches under the arch holding the gate was drifting towards the air, coalescing into her form. He took a deep breath, "Okay, my thoughts brought you back this far, but where were you before I started thinking about our childhood? And why did it have to be about the past? Goddesses know that I can barely think about two things without one of them being you right now."

Zelda's brow furrowed, _I don't know Kyro. Maybe the world wanted proof I'd existed before letting me get this far. Maybe the goddesses saw enough sadness at that point and let me come back._ Her eyes widened and her form stretched slightly, as if she were being pulled somewhere else, _Kyro, something . . . something is . . . calling me elsewhere. I don't know what it is, but it's powerful. I don't know how long I can resist it's pull._

"No!" Kyro shouted, "You aren't going anywhere Zelda! Not without me."

Zelda smiled sadly, _Kyro, I'm sorry about this. I'll . . . I'll try to be in touch. I can't make a promise, but I'll try to find something else near you to manifest my spirit in. For now though, I'm going to have to return to your mind and conserve my strength. Whatever's pulling at me . . . I couldn't tell you what it was if I had an eternity to describe it. All I know for sure is that it isn't a benevolent soul. I'm sorry._

The smoke forming Zelda began to dissipate, scattering her shifting form through the rain and cutting off whatever link she'd been holding. A small orb of light floated where she'd been, looking like a fairy without wings. It hung suspended in the air a moment more, then rose to eye level and rushed towards him. Kyro instinctively took a step back, closing his eyes as it closed the gap between them. When he opened them again, the orb was gone, and the gate was opening.

Kyro quickly put the mask on, barely covering his face as Link turned towards him. The boy ran up and Midna flitted out of his shadow, "The Mirror is in the Desert, isn't it?" The boy asked excitedly. Then he noticed Kyro's expression, "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Midna darted in and hovered in front of his face, looking him square in the eye, then addressed Link without turning away, "I think that's because he has."

Link looked confused, "Wait, what? I was just joking!"

Midna was not deterred as Kyro attempted to swat her, his hand passing through her like the shadow she was, "What happened Kyro?"

Kyro stopped trying to hit the Imp, "Nothing. Nothing happened, just a trip down memory lane while I was waiting for you two. Can we go get something to eat before we brave the desert and the Arbiter's grounds? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Midna didn't move, but kept looking at him, "Kyro . . . I can sense Zelda's presence here, recently. What are you not telling us?"

Kyro lost it, "I think if I wanted to tell you, you'd know! Now get out of my way you stupid little shadow! If you hadn't screwed up, Zelda would still be here and I wouldn't be traipsing off with you into a hellhole that I know all too well!" He took a deep breath before continuing in a much calmer tone, "Now would you like to continue this conversation, or can we find some food before we set off?"

Midna floated up from behind Link's shoulder, where she'd fled when Kyro had started shouting, then flipped down into Link's shadow where Kyro couldn't yell at her any more. Link lowered his hands from the 'calm down' gesture he'd been making, "Um, I'm not sure where to find food here, but if you know a place, I'm willing to eat before we go." He felt that disagreeing with the Sheikah was not a good thing to do at the moment.

Kyro nodded, "Let's hit Telma's bar. It's a pretty common stopping point for Sheikah who aren't on duty, so there won't be any uncomfortable stares. Just keep your wits about you and be ready with your sword. Tempers can flare up pretty quickly there."

Link decided not to mention Kyro's own temper, but instead turned and led the way, pausing to help Kyro heave the gate shut on their way out.

End of Chapter Ten

**Okay, you know the drill! Leave a review or you'll find Telma and her group behind you next time you're alone. Except for NightOwlCity, none of the people I send after him/her ever come back.**

**Anyway, this chapter was originally going to be where the three of them go through the temple and find the shattered Mirror, yada yada yada. I decided against that for two reasons. One, because by the time Kyro reached the bridge, I didn't have enough space left to keep the chapter under my 7,000 word limit. Reason number two is two part, one because I wanted to explore Kyro and Zelda's background together, and two because I feel like Zelda's spirit must have been somewhere . So now, it's inside Kyro! I'm a jerk to my main OC's, just take a look at Code: Cameron if you don't believe me. Basically Kyro now has the fading spirit of his best friend/secret crush inside his head. That's going to go really well for him. One thing I'm not letting her do is dig around in Kyro's memories and feelings, because that's a little too mean even for me.**

**Anyway, leave a review please! Until Next Time!**

**Undeadmonkey8**


	11. Gifts of the Goddesses

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Eleven

Sacred No Longer

Part One: Gifts of the Goddesses

A piercing whistle rang through the air and Link tossed the used Horse grass to the ground as Epona raced up to them. Kyro looked over her from his position on Jekahn, and whistled admiringly, "She's a nice one, that's for sure. When did you get her?"

Link shrugged, "She showed up in Ordon when I was about eight, and I was the only person who could ride her. I was already a farmhand, Epona just made everything go faster. After a while, Ilia started 'borrowing' her to wash her up in the Spirit's Spring, and if I ever hurt her jumping fences . . . well, let's just say that Ilia wouldn't be happy with me." As wistful look crossed his face, "I hope she's okay."

Kyro patted his shoulder, "Oh, I'm sure you'll see her again soon."

Link laughed and shook his head, "Oh, it's not that. She's in Kakariko right now, but the thing is, she doesn't remember anything of her past right now, which makes things . . . hard, between us."

Kyro smiled softly behind his mask, "Have you told her? Or, did you tell her before she lost her memory?"

Link frowned, "Did I tell her what?" The look in Kyro's eyes answered his question for him, "Oh, you mean have I told her _that._ Um, well, no. No, I haven't. Wait, how did you know?"

Kyro chuckled, "I can take one look at a guy as he mentions a person's name and tell what he thinks about them, call it a natural instinct. All the Sheikah can do it. Oh, and if you value your money, don't gamble with us at anything other than total chance, you'll be broke before the night is out."

Link rolled his eyes as he mounted Epona, "I don't gamble."

Kyro swung up onto Jekahn, "Don't let me get you drunk. You'll wake up with a headache and an empty wallet."

He nudged Jekahn into an easy lope before Link could respond, moving to a gallop as the horses muscles warmed up. He didn't slow down for anything, he knew his horse could sustain a pace like this all day if necessary, and when Zelda's life could hang in the balance . . . well, it was necessary.

_My life doesn't hang in the balance Kyro. My body yes, my life no._

Kyro rolled his eyes, _Yeah . . . well, until I can smack you for dumping your body, I'm not taking breaks. Call it an extremism of loyalty, or just call it friendship._

Zelda sounded irritated, _I don't want you running yourself into the ground for me Kyro. Whatever's pulling at me is getting weaker the farther we get from the palace. I could feel the difference by the time we were outside the walls of the city. By the time we get to the Desert, I doubt I'll feel it at all._

Kyro didn't slow down as he raced across the Hylian bridge and onto the paths leading down to the lake, the paths were narrow, but the turns were gradual enough that he could trust Jekahn to adjust for them, _Zelda, let me ask you a question. If_ _I_ _had been the one to sacrifice myself for Midna, would you be sleeping easily until I was back?_

When Zelda responded, she still sounded irritated, but also sheepish, _Well, no, but that's different._

Kyro's eyebrows went up as he passed above the entrance to the Spirit's spring, _Different how? You . . . have stronger feelings for me than I do for you?_

The question was serious, but he layered it with a teasing tone, and Zelda picked up on that over the seriousness, _What?! No! Well, I mean, you're my friend and everything, but . . ._ Her voice trailed off as she ran out of words to say. Kyro grinned, in all of the time he'd known her, Zelda had never once been rendered speechless, much less by him. _What's the matter Zelda, wolf got your tongue?_

Zelda appreciated the change of subject, _No. How is our feline friend, anyway? I assume that since you're racing along the Hylia shore that he's recovered his human form? What's he like?_

Kyro dismounted and looked behind him at the horse and rider trotting slowly down the path after him, neither Link nor Epona knew the trail like he and Jekahn did, which was just fine with him. He concentrated, assembling a mental picture of the Hero. The facial features were first, followed by the waves of short-cropped blond hair, and then the earrings and strange cap. He solidified it in his memory, then sort of . . . pushed it to Zelda, _How's that?_

Zelda hummed for a few moments, _He's kind of cute. Not my type though._

Kyro chuckled, _Wow. Deep, emotion reading princess reduced to a shallow schoolgirl by the loss of her body and the relocation of her consciousness. If only I'd known sooner._

Zelda laughed, _You know, if I still had a physical form, I'd be hitting you for that, right? I don't know the first thing about him, except that he pulled Hyrule out of Twilight and seems to obey Midna. Thank him for that when he reaches you, won't you?_

Kyro twisted in the saddle until he spotted Link galloping towards him. _For what, obeying Midna or helping us out? He may be here sooner than you think, so would you like me to tell them now, or would you rather wait until we get a fire going. That might not be until we reach the temple and there are torches around._

Zelda didn't need to think about it, _No, wait until you have something for me to manifest in. Smoke is good for a body, but Nayru mentioned something while you were talking with Link. She said that I could transfer my consciousness into a fairy, be a little more useful to you. When Link catches up, ask him if he has any, he's traveled around a fair amount, maybe he's bottled one._

Link reigned in next to him and dismounted, gesturing to the ring of cliffs surrounding them, "So how do we reach the desert? I spoke with the cannon man before coming to meet you, and he said he could shoot us there if we pay him. I'd really rather not though, my wallet is pretty light from buying arrows and supplies in town."

Kyro pointed across the lake, "Just to the left of that peninsula, there's a secret set of stairs that were carved into the rock by the ancestors of my people. If you're up for a climb, we can use them."

Link looked up at the cliffs, "I'd rather get shot up there. You might be able to climb up whatever stairs are there easily enough, but I doubt I'd ever make it up. The cannon's safe enough, I've used it before to reach the cuckoo flights, made quite a bit of money from the 'isle of riches' as they've quite accurately called it. I just couldn't reach the top platform and the rotating one above it."

Kyro looked at the cannon, then up at the flight deck. He considered the angles, then nodded, "Wait here." As he started to leave, he turned back to Link, "You wouldn't happen to have a fairy, would you?"

Link nodded and pulled out a bottle, "I'll have it on hand in case things go wrong."

Kyro nodded, "Thanks."

He turned and moved to the edge of the lake, whistling sharply and running a hand through the waters. The Zora on duty popped to the surface and removed his helmet, "Well met Sheikah, can I assist you in your pilgrimage?" The Zora's eyes suddenly went wide and he came fully out of the water, "Hey! I remember you! You're the guy who got in a fight with a possessed wall and lost! How are you doing?"

Kyro smiled, "Hey Turno, I was hoping you were on duty. Would you mind keeping an eye on our horses for us? We might not be back for a while, and I don't want them getting stolen."

Turno raised his spear in salute, "No problem, as long as you realize I won't be watching them on transport. The queen may be dead, but her orders stand just as strong now as they did in life. I must assist Sheikah on pilgrimage first. Is that all right?"

Kyro nodded, and turned to Link, "All right, tether Epona to one of the pillars, there isn't a better place around the lake."

As he ran along the bridge towards the cannon, he sent a thought to Zelda, _Just a little longer. Can you wait for me to finish this business?_

Zelda's voice was sarcastic, _No, I can't wait. Don't turn around you moron! I was just kidding!_

Kyro sighed and counted out ten rupees as the cannon man opened the door and held out a hand. He snatched the blue and green gems and dropped them into a wallet at his side before moving over to the crank of the cannon. Kyro climbed in and shut his eyes tightly, he didn't fear the prospect of flying – that part he looked forward to – it was the idea of being on top of a massive explosion that he was worried about.

Zelda's voice echoed above the music, _Kyro, if you die here, I'll kill you._

Kyro grinned, _Gonna slip a knife into the sacred realm Zelda? You might have to wait for Link to assemble enough of me to burn._

Zelda's reply was lost as the music grew to a crescendo and Kyro rose, light flashing down on him and vanishing as the Cannon aimed. He turned to face the opening, but then the opening was a lot closer all of a sudden.

Then he was past it, and flying through the air.

Kyro was elated, but regained his senses as the target deck came up on him. He twisted his feet under him and rolled upon landing to lessen the impact. He rose, brushing himself off, before hurrying inside to the second man.

He grabbed a cuckoo and ran to the ledge, firmly holding the squawking bird above him before throwing himself forward into space a second time. He leaned to adjust his course through the faintly lit rupee symbols, and looked down as he approached the Isle of Riches. He waited until the rotating platform was almost below him before letting go of the cuckoo and falling towards it. He was tempted to roll, but he didn't have enough money to go a second time if he missed.

The platform moved beneath him and he spread his limbs, trying to slow his fall. As he neared it, he could see he wouldn't land directly on it, so he reached to his waist and pulled out his chain. As he fell past, he flung it out to wrap around the supporting beam of the platform, letting the slack break his fall and pull him along before he slammed into the water. He swung through the air and back up towards his goal, flashing past the look of shock on the Cannon man's face as Link punched the air. Kyro flipped up and over the platform with a whoop before falling back down onto it, landing lightly on his feet before collecting his chain and wrapping it back around his waist.

He knelt and heaved the chest open, reaching in and swiping the solitary orange rupee within. Jumping down and opening the only other chest untouched, he pulled out a strange piece of what looked like glass, but when he rapped his knuckles on it, responded with a bell-like chime. He looked back in the chest and grabbed the purple rupee inside, then leapt down the rest of the platforms as the sun started to go down.

Link met him outside the platform and clapped him on the back, "Now _that_ looked like fun. How was it?"

Kyro gave him a thumbs-up, "It was . . . interesting." He turned to the cannon man, holding out the orange rupee and the shard of glass, "Exact change please, and what's this shard for?"

Link snatched it out of his hand and examined it, "It's a piece of heart. I've found them around in temples and chests all over the place. Find five and it makes you more resistant to getting hurt." He pulled out a nearly complete heart of the pouch that seemed to hold as much as he wanted, and held up the piece Kyro had retrieved, "Do you mind?"

Kyro shook his head, "Go ahead. I'll stick to not getting hit."

Zelda scoffed in his mind, _Oh really? What about the night my father was killed? Or when Zant threw you into the Triforce above my throne? Do those count as 'not getting hit'?_

Kyro was tempted to hit himself in the head to shut her up, _I'll point out that the first one was to save you, and the second one doesn't count because being thrown by a sorcerer isn't the same as being hit._

Light flashed as Link completed the crystalline heart, and the shining item faded into his body. His eyes flashed a moment before returning to normal, looking a bit brighter than they had before, filled with more confidence. Link strode into the cannon as the man finished counting out change, handing forty rupees to Kyro and returning to crank the machine. Link nodded to Kyro as the gate clanged shut between them, and a few moments later a green blur was shot out towards the desert. Kyro stepped forward as the gate opened again, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before getting blasted back into the desert he'd almost died in previously.

As Kyro tumbled to a stop in the soft sand of the desert, Midna and Link turned towards him from their distant inspection of the ancient grounds they'd be crossing later. Link had a strange mask on his face that resembled a bird, and he took it off as Kyro gave him a weird look. Link gestured to the mask, "Hawkeye, let's me look at things that are a long ways off."

Kyro nodded, "Hey, can I see that fairy you mentioned earlier? I have an . . . idea, for it."

Link nodded warily and held out the bottle, "You're not going to just let it loose are you? You don't know how hard it was to catch that thing."

Kyro shook his head as he uncapped the bottle, tossing both bottle and lid to Link before grabbing the fairy as it tried to escape. Wings beat slowly and gently against his hands and he felt tiny pinpricks touch his palms as the fairy landed. Zelda's consciousness stirred, and then heat flowed down through his arms, light shining through his fingers as he felt Zelda's presence leave him. Kyro opened his hands and cupped the small creature as it resumed fluttering, seeming content to hover there. Its hover was interrupted when Link tried to put it back in the bottle, and it fled onto Kyro's shoulder, ducking down behind him to avoid the hero.

Link sighed and held the bottle up, "Little help here?"

Kyro shook his head, "Give it a sec, she might need time to settle in."

Link's brow furrowed and Midna flitted up out of his shadow, invisible except for her eye, "Zelda . . . I can feel her close by all of a sudden. Did you do something Kyro?" The imp's teeth flashed, startlingly white against the blackness around them.

The fairy flitted into the space between the two boys, "Well, yes and no. You could say that I did something, but I couldn't have done it without him, so really we both did it."

Midna's eye went wide as Zelda's voice emanated from the sparkling creature in front of her, and Link nearly fell over from shock. Midna recovered first, "Uh, Zelda? Why-How-what-you know what, I would say I don't want to know why a fairy is speaking with your voice, but I really do. Why is a fairy speaking in your voice?"

Link shook himself, "I'd like to know why a fairy is speaking period. They've never spoken before."

Zelda laughed, "Well, would you talk to someone if they stuffed you in a bottle? They're sentient, and more civilized than we are. The fairy who's body I'm borrowing doesn't even mind the transgression. Her consciousness is just, staying back, glad to be out of that bottle, even if she can't control her body. She's really nice, understanding and all that. As to what I'm doing in her body, well, I sacrificed my energy and power for you Midna, and my body couldn't keep up with the strain, so it faded. My spirit on the other hand, was diminished for a while, but I recovered, and then I managed to bring myself back here from the sacred realm of the goddesses when Kyro started thinking about our childhood. He created the link for me to come back. I didn't show myself until now because there was something pulling at me. It was weaker once we'd left the city, and has kept getting weaker the farther we've gotten from the palace. Now that this fairy is providing – well, not shelter, but . . . a host I guess – for me, that pull is totally gone. I could manifest in anything, smoke, the sand on the wind, a fire, anything that is around really, but I'll only do that if I really want to, so I hope you don't mind talking to a fairy for the most of the time."

Midna put a hand under Link's jaw and shut it with an audible _clop_. "So, you're not dead then. That's nice to know. Still, why a fairy? Isn't it a little . . . small?"

Zelda rolled her eyes, and ended up flying in a loop, "I'm a spirit. I don't have a sense of 'small'. I could fit into an ant and be fine. Still, I might miss the legroom of my old body, so that's probably the reason I'd manifest in smoke or something else."

Link managed to pull himself together enough for a sentence, "Why are you obsessed about smoke?"

The others stared at him, and then Zelda laughed, "Dear goddesses, what must it be like in your tiny little minds, it must be terribly boring." She pulled herself together, "Sorry, that was mean of me. I'm not usually like that. Oh, and thanks by the way, for helping us out."

Link blushed and rubbed the back of his head, picking up his cap and shaking it out as he dislodged it, "No problem. Just doing what I could to help."

Zelda did another loop, "Uh-huh. Anyway, we should probably get going, the desert will get hot if we wait around outside until daylight." She turned to Kyro, "Which way to the Temple?"

Kyro looked around briefly before pointing to a silent Bulbin camp a little ways away, "We steal one of those Bullbos and we can get there before the moon sets. Link, don't kill any of them unless we're discovered."

The last Bulbin howled as it fell from its ramshackle tower, falling silent as a puff of sand flew up around it. Kyro peered down from his point on the tower previously occupied by the Bulbin and then straightened, looking around for any sign of Link. The hero had walked into a stable of some sort and the door had slammed shut before Kyro could follow. After waiting through the sounds of an epic fight in the making, Kyro had gone ahead to clean out the remainder of the Bulbin forces in the area. As he looked back towards the stable, a pillar of smoke rose from it, followed shortly by a massive squeal and a series of crashing noises. Link smashed through a fence on the back of a Bullbos, holding on as tightly as he could before hauling to one side and capsizing the giant boar as it tried to turn too sharply in response.

The green-clad boy stood and dusted himself off as Kyro slid down the tower and picked his way across the corpse-strewn ground surrounding it. He'd run into the unfortunate pack by accident, and he made his stand from the tower, relying on the hope – that turned out to be fact – that the Bulbin occupying the tower would be too stupid to move from its position to shoot straight down at him.

As the two ascended the steps, Zelda flitted about Kyro, sometimes landing on his shoulder, but mostly staying in place on top of his head. Apparently his hair made an excellent spot for a fairy to sit. The torches flickered to life as the pair approached, seeming to detect the outsiders. The great door shuddered, then raised silently, the torches within the main hall coming to life just as they had on Kyro's first visit, the hollow boom of the door's closing bringing back memories both good and bad.

The Triforce blazed to life on the back of his hand and he pulled out his chain as Link recoiled, "What's going on!?" The Ordonian cried, bringing up a hand to protect his vision.

Kyro looked down and brought the blaze of light down a bit, the hall dimming as the light faded back to a dull glow, "I don't know. It doesn't usually shine that brightly, maybe there's something in here that caused it. Does your not shine when you're in danger?"

Link shook his head, "Never. I didn't even know about it until I was dragged into the Twilight the first time. Didn't shine again until I pulled out the Master Sword, and hasn't since, as you know."

Kyro sighed and started forward, "Well, that's weird. More differences between Hylia and the other goddesses, no doubt. Oh well, let's get through this place as quickly as possible, it was annoying enough the first time through, and that was when I didn't know what I was in for."

Link punched his shoulder lightly, "Oh come on, I've been through Temples before, if you know what we're in for, then we'll be fine."

Kyro looked back at him, and Link's heart skipped a beat when he saw the worry behind his eyes, "Oh, I know what's coming, and that's why I'm scared of it. You're a fool if you aren't."

Link exchanged a glance with Midna as the Imp flitted out of his shadow. The two of them glanced forward to where Zelda fluttered about Kyro, then followed before the Sheikah was lost in the shadows.

Kyro stepped onto the shifting sand and quickly moved forward to the island of solid ground. He turned back to the entrance as Link stepped off the first point as well, almost immediately starting to sink into the loose sand. Kyro's eyes widened as Link struggled forwards, sinking faster than he traveled. As the sand rose around his chest, Kyro sighed and whipped out his chain, throwing it to wrap under the Hero's shoulders. Kyro heaved and Link moved upwards and forwards, still struggling, but not sinking. As his waist came up above ground, Link stuffed a hand into his pouch, bringing it out with the clawshot and firing it into a grate covering a light.

As he landed next to Kyro, the Sheikah sighed, "Wow. I'm really starting to doubt your abilities. First you walk blindly into a trap outside, and then you walk straight out into loose sand. Or maybe it's just your judgment that's impaired."

Link frowned, "Well, you walked on it and you were fine. I just sort of guessed it was firmer than it looked."

Kyro's eyes went wide with his companions stupidity, "You're joking, right?" His eyes went wider as he realized that Link was in fact, very serious, "Link, don't take this the wrong way, but you're an idiot." He knocked on Link's chest, the clink of chainmail clearly audible. Then he gestured to Link's other gear not stashed away, also quite heavy. After that, he swept his hands down to point out his own lack of heavy armor and equipment, "You're weighed down by what looks like a hundred pounds of assorted gear, I have a chain and a bunch of knives, as well as a pouch of food and water. Do you see what I'm getting at here?"

Link nodded, then pointed the clawshot under Kyro's arm and yanked a worm out of the sand. The creature writhed on the stone for a moment before Kyro grabbed it and shoved it into a jar. He tossed it over his shoulder into the sand where the jar sank, taking the worm with it. He surveyed the sands for a minute, pointing out several places to Link, letting the Hero snatch the foul worms from the sand and take care of them.

Kyro stepped off their island and crossed to another, then moved to the doorway leading into the next hallway. A worm leapt out of the sand and Link yelled to warn him, but Kyro was already on it. His chain wrapped around the creature and then it was smashed against the wall, much reminding him of his last trip here. He toed the unmoving body off into the sand before it started to stink, then turned to watch how the Hero dealt with the remainder of the obstacle the room was presenting him.

Kyro stepped into the dimly lit room, the four blue flames seeming to generate malevolence. Kyro pulled out his chain, expecting the horde of miniature skeleton's to rise again, but what he got was something much different.

Four clinking lanterns floated out of the gateway, each snatching up a flame and zipping off into the walls, while one immediately came forward to hover in front of Link and Kyro. The Ordonian tackled Kyro to the ground as something cut through the air they'd just been standing in, an evil hiss coming from the air above the Lantern. Link shifted into his wolf form and Midna flipped up onto his back, her hands moving in a complex pattern, sparks trailing from her fingers as Link faded slightly, then leapt towards the lantern taunting them.

He landed on something in midair, ripping at it with his fangs before it fell to the ground, shimmering into existence in front of Kyro. Link landed on all fours and flipped into the air to tear at a purple orb that rose from the reaper, ripping it away as Kyro smashed the Lantern against the ground, releasing the light trapped within. The flame flew back to its pillar, and Link sniffed the ground around the broken lantern, promptly growling and dashing off towards a doorway nearby. Kyro walked over to the gate and leaned against one of the pillars, Link was clearly following some sort of scent, which meant that Kyro wouldn't be able to know where he was going. Also, Link could apparently see the spirits holding the flames, and Kyro couldn't, which pointed out the fact that he would merely be a burden to the wolf, who would have to protect him as well as kill the spirits. In any case, Link either didn't notice or didn't care about his absence, as he delved deeper and deeper into the ancient temple.

_"Kyro"_

Kyro was instantly on his feet, dislodging Zelda from her perch on his shoulder. She shook herself and returned as an ominously familiar ball of shadow swept into being, blasting apart into Farore. The goddess was a far cry from the same as Kyro had last seen her, not smiling, with eyes as serious and cold as a glacier. Her voice was sharp, not the same lilting tone that she'd used last they'd spoken, _"Kyro, what are you doing here?"_

Kyro raised an eyebrow, "You don't know? I'm here for the Mirror of Twilight. We need to find it to get to Zant and destroy him."

Farore's eyes narrowed, _"You are aware that we were unable to stop his armies from invading your realm. Do you plan to do what we could not? What even our esteemed mother failed to do?"_

Kyro's other eyebrow raised, "Speaking of Hylia, and the other goddesses, are you here alone this time or will I be seeing the whole family again? I don't think that we've ever had a proper chat. But, being as matters are pressing, I doubt we have time for that now."

A ball of blue flame popped out of the wall and reclaimed its pillar as Link raced across the floor below them, not even registering their presence there. Farore and Kyro followed his progress until the door shut behind him, and then the goddess turned back to Kyro, _"Din and Nayru will speak with you later, the three of us each have one part of a bigger picture, in the event one of us was captured like our mother was. Take the look of shock off your face Kyro, we don't have time for it. Hylia was kidnapped by Zant and is now somewhere in the Twilight, beyond our reach. She should be back by now, it's been long enough for her powers to regenerate enough to rejoin us in the sacred realm, which leads us to believe that something is holding her there, likely the same thing that prevented her from escaping in the first place. If you do indeed dive into the realm of Twilight, I beseech you to rescue our mother, as soon as you can. If you do that, then we may be able to aid you in your quest. What say you?"_

Kyro didn't need Zelda whispering in his ear to know the answer, "Done."

Farore nodded and held out her hand, _"Your dagger, please."_

Kyro was confused, but pulled his weapon out and handed it to her. The goddess held the blade between both hands and then pulled away from it, leaving it to hang there. She gestured for Kyro to stand back, then fired a blast of magical energy at it. The blade glowed, then grew, becoming something closer to a short sword than a dagger. The original sheath disappeared, replaced by a new one on his waist that would fit the new blade. Kyro took the sword and sheathed it, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "I've only ever used a dagger. I'm not really . . . sure how to fight with a full on sword."

Farore grinned mischievously, _"Well then, hurry onwards and find my sisters. They each have a gift for you, but Din can be impatient sometimes, if you understand my meaning."_

Kyro nodded, "Now just a quick question, where _exactly _is the Mirror of Twilight? I'm guessing the Arbiter's Grounds, but unless I know where to look, it could take a long time."

Farore smiled – another welcome reminder of her old self – before fading back into her transport orb and vanishing.

Kyro sat back against the pillar and waited for Link to finish with the spirits, the gate creaking open alerting him to the fourth ball of flame taking its place in the square. Link trotted up to him and reverted to his human form, "You could have helped with that."

Kyro shrugged as he stood up, "I couldn't see the ghosts, and I didn't know where they'd gone. Fat lot of good I'd have been. Besides, you did just fine, now let's go."

As the two of them turned towards the hallway, Kyro's hand fell to his new sword, catching Link's attention. The Hero raised an eyebrow at the Triforce cut into the pommel, "Nice sword. I don't recall you having it five minutes ago."

Kyro glanced at him, "That's because I didn't have it five minutes ago. Long story, I'll tell you when we've finished here. Or you might figure it out as we go. Deal?"

Kyro walked into the darkness before Link could respond.

Link and Kyro's swords cut through the skeletons facing them, Kyro's a little less smoothly than Link's. An explosion rocked the ground in front of each boy, preventing the bones from knitting back together. As a third Skeletal knight rose in front of them, they automatically ran to intercept it, Kyro cutting at its knees even as Link leapt over it and slashed at the barely protected skull. As bones clattered to the ground, the two boys started to walk away, Link casually tossing a bomb over his shoulder to stop the thing reforming.

The two entered the next room and torches around the walls flickered to life, illuminating what was clearly an arena of some sort, with a massive sword chained to the ground. Link and Kyro cautiously walked around it, making their way to the door at the other end. The Sheikah knelt in front of it and pulled up, but the door held fast. He cracked his knuckles and went to work on the lock, trying to dislodge the tumblers as Link walked back to the sword.

A clang distracted Kyro as he managed to unlock the door, and he looked back before opening it. A grate slammed down, cutting him off from the arena as the chain Link had cut clattered to the ground. The rest of the chains disappeared, and the sword came free, hovering in the air before Link as the boy made his transformation to a wolf. He leapt to the side as the sword came down at him, then began circling. The sword came in for a second pass, and Link leapt at it, biting at whatever spirit was holding it. A massive skeletal being appeared, roaring in agony and swiping at Link again and again. The boy returned to his human form as the creature regained it's senses, flying back and launching orbs of dark energy at him.

Kyro sighed and sat against the wall to watch in comfort. Link was clearly in his element, and needed no help whatsoever – not that Kyro would have been able to supply it.

As the spirit fell to the ground and vanished, the grate covering the door leading forward shot back upwards, reopening the passage between them. Link ascended the steps, sheathing his sword and heaving open the door with Kyro. He knelt before the chest he knew would have the Temple's artifact within it and pushed it open. A strange top-like object was inside it, and judging by Kyro's sharp intake of breath, he knew what it was. Link held the object awkwardly, not wanting to drop it as Kyro studied it intensely. After a few moments, the Sheikah gestured for him to place it on the ground, where it stayed perfectly upright, without a trace of a wobble.

"Get on Link." It was a command, not a suggestion, and it was one Link followed with little hesitation. As soon as he was on the artifact, it began moving, spinning with a high speed precision that locked the item into the slots along the wall. Link rode the spinner for a few moments before his heel moved slightly and a click sounded, the spinner pushing away from the wall in a burst of air.

As the Hero fell off of it, the Spinner stopped, and the room went dark. Link got to his feet cautiously as a ball of darkness appeared, then blew apart to reveal a golden sphere tinged with blue. Link looked at Kyro and followed the Sheikah's example as Kyro knelt, the sphere writhing and forming into a young woman.

Nayru smiled at Kyro, _"Hello Sheikahn. I trust your second journey through the Temple has been slightly more interesting than the last."_

Kyro rose, "If by 'interesting', you mean longer and more difficult, then yes, it's been more interesting."

Nayru nodded, _"I see that you've joined forces with my champion and that of my youngest sister. Zelda, you can come out, I would like to speak with you."_

Zelda hesitantly rose from the place she'd made on Kyro's head. She came down to eye level with the goddess, her voice uncertain, "Greetings Nayru. How may I be of service to you?"

Nayru rolled her eyes, _"By not trying to please me. I hate it when people grovel and avert their eyes, it makes for such a boring conversation. That's one reason I like your guard so much, he's not afraid of me. Now then Zelda, I'd like to speak with you much longer, and we will once this is over, but for right now, I'll need you to go on ahead with Link. Kyro and I must speak in private."_

Zelda wasn't happy with the arrangement, but she moved to Link's shoulder as the Ordonian spun and made his way out of the room before stowing the Spinner safely away in his pouch. Kyro turned back to Nayru, "I believe Farore said that you and Din had something for me? She also said that Din wasn't very patient, so I should probably get going unless I want to miss her."

Nayru didn't smile, _"Yes, I have something for you. A gift, freely given, if you will accept it."_

Nayru pulled a small stone out of her sleeve and presented it to Kyro, _"This will guide you towards your objective, no matter what that may be. I hope it will serve you well for years to come. Now go, find our mother and free her from Zant's clutches."_

Kyro nodded and ran to catch up with Link and Zelda as Nayru returned to her home, _"Run Kyro, and never forget your true purpose."_

Kyro caught up with Link as the Hero stepped into a room full of rails and spike barrels spinning along them. He waved off Link's questions and leapt onto one of the rails, moving along it quickly and cautiously, jumping over to the next one as Link used the spinner to traverse the rails and avoid getting speared by the traps that impeded his progress. Normally Kyro would have walked directly on the sand, but the sand looked too loose even for him to pass across it safely. The duo quickly made it to the first challenging rail, a massive spiral that intimidated even Link. Kyro swept his arm towards it, "After you."

Link mirrored him, "Oh no, after you."

"I insist."

"So do I."

"Do you want to be here all day Link? I can do this for a lot longer than you can."

"Would you like to bet on that fact?"

"Ninety rupee's sound good to you?"

"I don't have any money."

"Then you go first."

"You're the Sheikah."

"And you're the one with the spinner."

Link muttered a curse and jumped aboard his new artifact, doing a loop around the rail's base before rising along it into the air. Kyro was about to follow him when a familiar darkness formed around him, and he sent Zelda to let Link know not to wait up.

Din formed from the sphere of golden light she used as transport, _"About time kid. I was about to leave when you got here."_

Kyro bowed to the goddess, "An honor to see you again Goddess. My thanks for not abandoning me. As I'm sure you're ready to return home, perhaps we can finish our business quickly, hmm?"

Din laughed, _"Oh very good! Yes, let's finish up quickly, the darkness in this place makes me itch. Now then, my gift for you is this, use it well."_

A suit of Sheikah armor appeared over Din's outstretched hand, glowing faintly as she offered it to him. The Eternal eye was present as always, but instead of an iris and pupil, the Triforce was present in the center. Kyro reached out, and as his hand touched the fabric, it burst apart in a flash of light, forming around him.

Din grinned, _"I figured I would save you the time. You'll find this to be considerably stronger than your old outfit, strong enough to take a rock in the chest and barely feel it, even if it were thrown by a yeti. All of your equipment is exactly where it should be, so now I'll be going. This is likely the last you'll see of us Kyro, so, goodbye, save our mother, yada yada yada. See you in the sacred realm."_

Din vanished in a burst of light, and when Kyro opened his eyes, he realized the light had been a short range warp, placing him next to Link and saving him the trouble of catching up. He sent a mental thanks to Din and pulled out his sword, it looked like he was going to need it.

End of Chapter Eleven, Part One

**Hello people! So there's the first bit of the Desert Temple, next chapter will be the last half, boss fight, sages, etc. Leave a review with whatever your thoughts on it are, or I'll have you shot out of a cannon.**

**Anyway, the temple was going to be one chapter, but then it got away from me a little, so I split it into two to avoid anyone grinding their teeth at a twelve thousand word chapter. I'll update as soon as I can, so don't be impatient.**

**Keep Rocking!**


	12. Raging Shadows

**Breath of the Sheikah**

Chapter Eleven

Sacred No Longer

Part Two: Raging Shadows

_Din vanished in a burst of light, and when Kyro opened his eyes, he realized the light had been a short range warp, placing him next to Link and saving him the trouble of catching up. He sent a mental thanks to Din and pulled out his sword, it looked like he was going to need it._

Kyro ducked as his opponent swiped at him with an ancient and rusty blade. He blocked the next attack and slammed his sword into the skeleton's. The old thing shattered into fragments and Kryo's next attack separated the thing's head and shoulders forever. The ancient bones turned to dust as he whirled, instinctively bringing his sword up. He'd been expecting an attack, but the shield slamming into him wasn't what he'd been thinking.

As he fell to the ground, the Skeleton opened its mouth as if it were laughing, and then raised its sword, bringing it down towards Kyro's unprotected neck. The Master Sword intercepted the weapon that would have ended his life and snapped it in two. Link's stroke continued into the undead knight, and a bomb finished what his blade had started.

Link helped the Sheikah to his feet, then moved to the end of the room. The massive chest that the Skeleton's had been guarding sat silent and foreboding as the two approached it. Link glanced at Kyro, then heaved it open, reaching in and snatching something from inside. The great lid slammed down, nearly taking Link's hand with it, and leaving the halls to echo with the dull boom. A fell wind stirred the sand in the corridor, gently blowing Kyro's uncovered hair up, and standing the hair on his neck on end.

He pulled his sword out as a guttural moan came with the wind, but put it away when Link's hand fell on his arm. The Hero shook his head and pulled out the spinner, zipping along the rails as easily as Kyro could jump between trees. Kyro shook his head and placed one foot in the railing – he didn't have or need anything like the spinner. He pushed off from the wall and caught the railing on the other side with his foot, leaping from side to side to advance his position as well as avoid the spinning spikes that stalked the rails.

As he met Link on the other side, the companions walked onwards, into the dark not-really-unknown.

The two of them strode into a large circular room, reaching high into a gloomy ceiling. Kyro's eyes narrowed, he remembered this place, but last time he'd been here . . . He walked further into the room and knelt, sweeping at the sands. Sure enough, a small groove ran across the floor, marking the path of the railing he'd used to ascend into the final hallway on his pilgrimage.

He stood, dusting his hands off, "There's a submerged rail here, we'll need to raise it if we—"

Link was already halfway up the rail they could see. He rose a few more levels, then blew away from the wall, landing neatly on the column they needed to ascend. Kyro waited for a moment, then stepped forward and grabbed the rail as it rose smoothly out of the ground. He heaved himself on top of it and waved to Link as he went by. The Hero's mouth dropped open as Kyro leapt from the rail to the landing, moving to the edge and waving to Link, "Come on, we haven't got all day!"

Link sighed and leapt onto the spinner, blasting away from the rail at the last possible moment so as to not cut Kyro in half by the blades that shot out whenever he blew away from a rail. Kyro turned and moved through the doorway, a sigh reaching Link's ears before the door shut behind him. He followed his friend through and his eyes opened wide, taking in the number of deadly machines in the room. Kyro pushed Link forward, knocking him away from the small dart that shot out of the wall. Link's blood ran cold as he heard the dart slam into the opposing wall, with no accompanying clink to signal it's hitting the ground. He turned to see the dart buried halfway into the wall and shuddered as he realized it could have been his neck it had hit.

Kyro stepped around the trapped tiles, "The last pillar before the pit will move towards you as soon as you draw close to it, so don't stop. I nearly died here last time I came through, and I'm not willing to bet that the fairy that helped me has stuck around for us." He weaved between the rotating pillars, jumping across the chasm and moving to the locked door before he was turned back into fileted Sheikah by the same traps.

Link arrived moments after him, the spinner counter-acting against the traps to keep him from being speared. Kyro gave him a boost up to the great lock, and hurriedly stepped back as the massive chunk of metal slammed into the ground. The two of them grunted with the effort of heaving the door up and stepped through into the shadows beyond.

Kyro raced out of the corridor behind Zelda. The two of them turned to wait for Link, Kyro sucking in breath as he did. When Link finally did come out of the tunnel, Kyro gestured vaguely across the room, "There's a door over there that will lead us to the Arbiter's grounds. We should get going before something else shows up to make mischief."

"Someone like me, perhaps?"

Link and Kyro whirled at the sound of Zant's voice, Zelda ducking down behind the two of them for protection. Zant's laugh grated on their ears as Midna flipped up out of Link's shadow to bare her teeth, "Well then Zant, did you come here all on your own to stop us for good this time? Or are you just here to slink back into the shadows while we fight one of your corruptions?"

The air was filled with the sound of blades unsheathing at Zant's response, "I came here because I think it's a shame . . . that this will be your last day alive."

Kyro laughed, "Nice try Zant, but you don't scare me. I plan on living to restore Zelda to her body and putting a blade through whatever black heart you have."

Zant's laugh was low and menacing, "And how will you restore Zelda . . . when her spirit is imprisoned?" He raised a hand and Zelda flew past Link and Kyro to hover before him, "A fairy? Such an interesting choice my young queen. Surely you could have picked something a little more . . . powerful? Perhaps then you could resist my spell."

Zelda struggled against her bonds, "Let me go you sick bastard!"

Zant tilted his head, "It's simple for you to escape, simply leave that shell behind and return to your friend. Surely you've thought of that, and realize it is your only option." When Zelda didn't respond he sighed, "So be it."

A blast shook the room, originating from the hand working the binding magic. The fairy Zelda inhabited was sent flying across the room, but Zelda's spirit wasn't. It stayed right where it was.

Zant chuckled again, "My master will be very pleased to see you Zelda. So pleased indeed. While your spirit roams free, there is no way for him to capture it. So thank you for leaving Kyro and making this so very easy for us."

The three of them still within a body froze, feeling as if they'd been dipped in stone as the small orb that was Zelda slowly and steadily rose, drifting up, and up, and up, before vanishing into a Twilight portal. The feeling of being buried passed, and with it, the numbness of the situation. Kyro's eyes were wide for a moment longer, but then they narrowed and locked onto Zant. He took a step forward, his chest heaving, "You . . . have no idea . . . just how dead you are Zant. I promise it will be slow."

Zant laughed, "Do you remember what happened last time you tried to—"

He was cut off as a soul-ripping shriek came from the young form in facing him. Kyro's head was thrown back and his hands were clenched at his sides as he wailed again, louder, the banshee sound sending Midna ducking behind Link with her ears covered. Kyro began to tremble slightly as a third cry ripped from him, sending all of them reeling, doing whatever they could to block out the fell sound. A shadow swirled around Kyro as a fourth shriek assaulted them, blocking him from view before flooding out to cover the room, quenching the sputtering torches as it shut out nearly all of the light.

Midna floated up to Link's shoulder, her eye wide, "Link, it might be a good idea for us to go now."

Link shot her a look, "Why? I thought you liked the shadows."

Midna shook her head, "I enjoy the _Twilight._ This . . . its real shadow, a far cry from the dim glow of my home. I'd always assumed that the magic of the Sheikah was a myth – heck, I didn't believe the Sheikah were real before I came here. But any scrap of legend we have on them warns us not to make them angry. The bloodline of the Sheikah carries a powerful magic, one that makes Zant's power pale in comparison. It's why they're so good at what they do, magic granted by the goddesses lying dormant in their veins, waiting for a surge of emotion powerful enough to let it loose." She pointed to where Kyro was still trembling, shadows engulfing him before he seemed to regain control and advance on Zant. **(It has to be recorded so history doesn't forget it; the King of Twilight nearly wet himself looking at the dark figure coming at him.)**

Midna lowered her arm, "They can't normally use it, but if something angers them enough – losing a loved one for instance – well . . . let's just say that whatever makes them mad had better be ready to meet the goddesses. I don't know if cutting Zant into a million pieces will be enough to calm him down, which is why I suspect we'll want to be going . . . damn."

Her last word was called upon by the door slamming shut behind them, before the shadowy forces that had closed it swirled away, back to the young Sheikah controlling them. Or were they controlling him?

Link shook his head, "We've got to calm him down. Before it's too late."

Midna shook her head and reached out with an arm to stop him, "I think it already is."

Kyro had reached Zant.

Kyro didn't know anything but rage at that moment. In fact, calling it rage is an understatement. Calling it rage was like saying Link's house was Hyrule Castle. Or that a rain puddle was Lake Hylia. His body moved without his mind ordering it, raining down blows on Zant seemingly without effort, despite the magic and blades the false King used to protect himself. He backed Zant to the wall, flicking his sword around Zant's and neatly flipping the blade into the air to land within the great skull, quivering with the force it had flown with. The king of Twilight was breathing hard, Kyro's whispers of breath silent in comparison. Zant looked down the sword and into his eyes, barely seeing them for the shadows around them. His voice was barely a whisper as he gazed into the dark orbs, "Who- What _are _you?"

Kyro's voice was low and hard, "I am your bane."

With that, he pulled the sword back and prepared to ram it home, but stopped short when he heard a dry growl behind him. He let go of Zant's robes to look, ducking as the gargantuan skeleton swiped at him and nearly cleaved Zant in two. The King of Twilight vanished, reappearing on the far side of the room as the shadows receded slightly, "Well my young Sheikah, it's been an honor – and a pain – fighting you. I'm afraid I must tend to my wounds now, so please, feel free to take your time with my pet." He vanished into a portal as the shadows thickened, reaching for him. But he was gone before they could trap him.

Kyro released another shriek and collapsed, curling into a ball as if he were a child, the shadows covering the room fading away, being absorbed into his body. The Skeletal being released another growl and brought a hand up to crush him. As the hand descended however, the monstrosity shuddered, then sank a few feet into the sand as Link's heel clicked the spinner's blades into position. The creature howled, forcing Link to duck as he traveled along the rails, moving behind it to strike again.

As he passed Kyro, he noticed the Sheikah stirring slightly. Midna came out of Link's shadow and flew over to the boy, settling near him and doing what she could to rouse him from his comatose state.

Link shook his head, he could worry about Kyro later. Right now he had another undead skeleton to deal with.

A shriek ripped through the air, rivaling the banshee cries that Kyro had unleashed not long ago. Kyro's eyes fluttered open as it faded, watching in semi-disbelief as half of a skeleton flailed about, sending bits of its body flying to smash against the walls. He started to push himself up, but ceased the effort when his limbs drained of energy. He coughed and managed to roll onto his back, letting out a yell of shock when he saw the orange eye staring back down at him. His eyes flickered between his normal mismatched gaze and a pair of glassy orbs of black that seemed to suck in any light that came their way.

Midna waved Link away as the Hero came over, "He's fine. See if you can get that door open, maybe that gear point on the platform?"

Kyro coughed again, drawing on his deepest reserves of strength to lift a waterskin to his face, glaring at Midna until she turned away, letting him raise his mask to drink. He drained the water tight pouch, and then looked over as Link yanked the spinner out of the ground, grimacing in distaste at the giant skull still lying in the ground. Midna looked over to him, then glanced back at Kyro. She grimaced as she saw the shadows still covering his eyes, lurking between his gaze and the rest of the world. She knew he would be out of it for a while, so she gestured to Link to bring a fairy over. He started away from the ring, but wasn't halfway up the slight ramp when it started sinking. He leapt back before it simply fell away, lowering deep into the ground and leaving nothing but empty air and rails in its place.

Kyro turned his head and his eyes flickered again, revealing color where black had been. He started to say something, but his warning was nullified by the great chunk of bone rising and smashing into Link, knocking him into the pit. Kyro groaned and turned to look up again, hearing a familiar twinkling sound. Zelda's fairy was hovering over him, dropping speckles of magic as Midna futilely tried to wave it away. Kyro coughed once more and struggled to sit up, recovering slightly from the shadow rage. He looked at Midna, confusion written in his eyes, "What happened? Where's Zant?" He looked around a bit, "Where's Zelda?"

Midna shrank a little, "Um, reverse order, Zelda was taken by Zant, or Zant's master, or something, Zant fled, I'm assuming to the twilight, after you went crazy and beat him within an inch of his dignity."

Kyro swallowed hard, suppressing the rage that boiled up in him at the fact that Zelda was gone. Again. He let his head fall back against the wall as shrieks and battle cries came up from the pit and punched the ground, "I'll kill him. Slowly."

Midna grinned, "Now you're back to your old self. Thing is, we can't get him until we reach the Twilight, and we can't get to the Twilight until we get rid of that monstrosity down there. Care to lend Link a hand?"

Kyro closed his eyes a moment as they settled, then opened them to the stare of the Shadow Rage. His voice echoed slightly, almost like Hylia's had in the Arbiter's Grounds. "My pleasure."

He ran to the edge of the pit and waited a moment, looking for a break in the fall. It came sooner than he thought, in the form of a giant skull being chased by a tiny figure on the spinner. The skull was chipped and cracked in many places, particularly around the glowing sword that appeared to animate it. And it was launching fireballs at Link.

Kyro took all of that in while he was falling towards it.

He landed hard, the shadows surrounding the skull breaking his fall and not his bones. He grabbed onto the sword as the skull thrashed, clinging to it with everything he had. Link took the chance to blast away from the wall, slamming into the skull and knocking it to the ground. As the skull crashed, Kyro braced himself and took a firm grip on the sword. He heaved upwards and pulled it free, throwing it to the ground for Link's blade to shatter.

As the sword broke, the skull began to disintegrate. Kyro hopped down before his perch crumbled, and then the skull split into thousands of fragments. Kyro sighed as he felt the Shadow Rage leave him, and dropped again as a wave of exhaustion hit him. He fell on Link and the Hero pulled out a potion, pouring it into his mouth and keeping it shut until Kyro was forced to swallow. The Sheikah opened his eyes and pushed the Hero away, scrambling up the column by using the rails as a ladder.

Kyro made for the door as soon as he was level with the bridge, exiting into the pale moonlight and basking in it. He started up the stairs, taking them two at a time until he reached the statue of the goddess where he'd once been questioned by Din. A soft wind blew across the desert, cooling Kyro's skin and ruffling his brown hair – nearly black in the dark night. As he ascended the goddess statue, he heard the clatter of chainmail and sighed, "Darn, I was just starting to enjoy the silence. Oh well, might as well—" He stopped speaking as he leaned back and felt something underneath him. He rolled to look at it, feeling around its edges to find the familiar shape of the spinner-activated gears. He called down as he heard movement below, "Link, get up here. I think I've found something."

The ring of steel accompanied a shriek of a Shadow Beast, "Little busy at the moment!"

Kyro jumped to his feet and looked over the edge to where Link was engaged with a trio of Shadow Beasts. He rolled his eyes and jumped off, falling onto one and cutting off it's air with his chain. Link cut one down, then spun away and whipped his sword into a killing arc against the second. The Master Sword sheared through first an arm, then the neck.

The beast Kyro was holding tried to scream, but the chain tightened, then a final yank stopped it from ever crying again and it fell to the sandy ground.

Kyro pointed to the statue, "Get up there. There's a spot for the spinner on top, and I'm betting that it has something to do with the mirror."

Link nodded as the Shadow Creatures burst apart into the pieces of the portal, leaping onto his machine and spinning over to the snake that held the railing. A few moments after he reached the top, Kyro felt the ground tremble and he ran to the edge of the grounds, watching the statue sink into the ground.

To be replaced by a platform and a massive black stone the size of the castle gate.

Kyro's eyes went wide, then wider as they took in the mirror and his heart sank. He dropped to his knees and pounded the sand as Link came up to him. He was dimly aware of the boy's gasp and Midna's cry of horror, but Kyro was to consumed with his own thoughts to really register them. No Mirror meant no chance at Zant, and no chance at Zant meant no chance at getting Zelda back, or reclaiming his home. He stopped hitting the sand and simply froze where he knelt, not wanting to accept failure but seeing precious few other options. He felt the tears welling up and made no attempt to stop them, letting them spill across his eyes and fall to the ground, saturating the ground with his sorrow.

"Do not despair Children."

Kyro scrambled to his feet as he heard voices he hadn't heard in nearly a decade. The sages were positioned all around, up on pillars with a marking of their domain of power.

They spoke again, "A dark entity inhabits the Twilight, wielding an evil power. Children of the goddesses, marked by fate, hear us."

They paused, then resumed speaking, "We have been tasked with guarding the mirror since ancient times. But even before you sought it, it had been shattered, split apart and scattered by powerful magic. That power . . . is such that only one man possesses it. He is . . . Ganondorf."

As the sages explained Ganondorf's rise to power and then his fall, Kyro began linking their tale to legends surrounding the Triforce and – more importantly – the Hero of Time. He recalled Hylia's story, telling him of the Ganondorf that plagued the ancient Hyrule, who had split the Triforce in the first place. And now he was here, another incarnation of Demise's hatred and rage. Kyro's blood boiled, he was behind everything, the Twilight, Zant, and Zelda's fall. If Kyro ever got his hands on him . . . he would suffer.

The sages finished their tale, "And now it appears that his dark powers have been passed to Zant. If you are to defeat them, you will need to recover the fragments of the Mirror. They are scattered across the land, not utterly destroyed. Only the true leader of the Twilight can truly destroy the mirror."

The sages lifted their arms, "One lies in the snowy mountain peaks, another in an ancient grove, and the last has risen to the heavens. Find them and bring them here, once the mirror is reunited, it will repair itself without pause. Go, and may the goddesses guide you safely."

Kyro nodded and bowed as the Sages disappeared, "Thank you sages. May the goddesses watch over you." To himself he added, _may they watch over us all._

As the last sage faded away, Kyro turned to Link and Zelda, "Alright, so we have a few detours to make before we can kill Zant. I'd suggest the 'snowy mountain peaks' first, since it's pretty obviously Snowpeak. How you get there is up to you, but I can't go with you." He held up a hand to forestall protests, "Normal humans can't survive in those conditions. You can make it in your wolf form, but wherever the fragment is, I would freeze to death before we were halfway across the first glacier. You'll need to go in your wolf form, and if you really want my help, you'll have to make a portal somewhere before you can get it. Preferably somewhere near the mirror fragment, or near whatever it's guarded by. Again with the whole 'freeze to death after too long'.

Midna waved a hand and warped them to Castle town, "Where's Snowpeak? Or the entrance?"

Kyro pointed northward, "In the Zora's domain. The entrance was blocked last time I was there, but a bomb should make short work of the ice that's in the way. You'll probably want a scent to follow though, to make sure you don't get lost. I'm sorry, but all of that's up to you. I can't help for now."

Link sighed, "Fine. I'll find some way to traverse Snowpeak and find the fragment, if we find a portal, where can we find you?"

Kyro jerked a thumb towards the Town, "I'll be in Telma's bar. I always like hearing the latest stories, they can tell you a great deal about what's going on and people's thoughts of it."

Link nodded, "Okay. We'll find a way up Snowpeak and hopefully we'll be able to make a portal somewhere, if we can't . . . well, it won't be the first dangerous area we've gone into alone."

Kyro started into the city, then turned back before he mounted the steps, "By the way, I've heard tell of a yeti up in those mountains. I'm not entirely sure it's true, but you might want to talk to the Zora people about it, maybe they have a way for you to find a scent to follow. If you want to follow it of course."

Link's brows raised, "I'll keep that it mind. Watch yourself in that bar, beer and hot tempers . . ."

Kyro laughed, "I think I can handle a few drunkards. You just worry about the Mirror fragment."

Kyro slid into the bar and caught Telma's gaze. She smiled as she poured out another beer for the man in front of her, "Well hello there Kyro. Nice to see you again so soon. What can I get you?"

Kyro smiled thinly behind his mask as he stepped up to the bar, "Nothing today Telma. I'm just here to listen in on rumors and the general thoughts of the people. Got anything for me?"

Telma pointed to a table in the corner, "That should do you pretty well. Nice and deep in the shadows, suits you, and your sharp ears should be able to pick up anything of interest. Are you sure you don't want anything?"

Kyro nodded, "No thank you Telma. I'm fine, really."

The bartender nodded, "Well alright, take care of yourself now."

Kyro tilted his head back and soaked everything in. As usual, Telma's bar was a hotspot for talk and eavesdropping. But as he leaned back slightly, one thing in particular caught his attention.

One man was arguing with a drinking mate, "The queen's not doing anything for us. You can even look for yourself, she's shut herself away from the rest of the world because she just doesn't care about anyone but herself. If we want something, we need to get it ourselves."

"You don't know that! None of us know what that barrier is for, or what's causing it!" His friend shook his head, clearly not liking where the conversation was going.

The first man laughed, "Everyone knows the royal family is magical, this is just proof. And this is proof that she couldn't care less about us. Besides, if she felt like she was doing a good job for us, she wouldn't be scared of us. If she weren't scared of us, then why does she have those Sheikah working for her? Why did she stop everyone from entering the castle? I'm telling you, she doesn't care about us, and she knows that we don't like her for it."

"Theo, you're drunk. You don't know what you're saying. You know that people love Queen Zelda, and some like her so much that they'd snap your neck before they'd let you insult her like this." The second man took another drink, "Just be glad there aren't any of those Sheikah in here."

Kyro's hand strayed to his knives, this guy was daring to insult _his queen_? If he'd been a Sheikah, he would have been banished for treason. As it was . . . Kyro rose to follow the man as he left, stopping at the table where the second man stared into his mug.

He looked up as Kyro dropped a few coins on the table, "Sheikah! Oh damn. I'm so sorry about anything you heard. My friend isn't usually that . . . no, never mind. He's almost always like that. But he doesn't mean any of it."

Kyro nodded to the coins, "Those are for your loyalty to the crown. Have one on me." He was gone before the man could reply.

The drunkard was out in the yard, slumped against the stairs. Kyro walked right up to him, not even trying to conceal himself. The man looked up at him, his eyes unfocused but clearly recognizing someone, "That you Bjorn? What're you doing out here?"

Kyro grabbed the front of the man's shirt and hauled him to his feet, trying not to breathe in the alcoholic fumes, "I'm not your pal."

The man's eyes cleared a bit and widened as he took in the mask and armor, "Oh damn."

That was all he got out before Kyro flung him into the stone wall. He hit with a loud cracking sound and slid down, stirring feebly and groaning. Kyro walked up to him and kicked him in the side before squatting down next to him, "Next time you insult m—the Queen, don't do it where a Sheikah can hear you." He stood and dusted his hands off, walking back into the bar to rent a room for the night.

End of Chapter Eleven Part Two

**Hello you guys! I am so, so sorry it took me so long to update this. School's tough lately and my everyday life has left little time to write. Plus I've taken up a story that's a sequel to this one and a crossover with the fanfic of a friend of mine, called Shadowrunner of the Void. If you're interested, I suggest you check out his story before we start posting it, which could be a while, since we're going to finish both our stories before releasing the sequel.**

**Anyway, read, review, and then read again!**

**Undeadmonkey8 out. But just for now.**


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